Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between senior systems analysts and analyst leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a senior systems analyst and an analyst lead. Additionally, an analyst lead has an average salary of $95,264, which is higher than the $82,717 average annual salary of a senior systems analyst.
The top three skills for a senior systems analyst include project management, java and sql server. The most important skills for an analyst lead are analytics, data analysis, and project management.
| Senior Systems Analyst | Analyst Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $82,717 | $95,264 |
| Hourly rate | $39.77 | $45.80 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 154,569 | 122,353 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A senior systems analyst is responsible for analyzing IT systems and networks, modifying existing systems for better optimization, and designing efficient technology systems from clients' specifications and business needs. Senior systems analysts regularly inspect the performance of the system networks, ensuring its efficiency and accuracy to support daily operations. They perform troubleshooting, upgrade network infrastructures, and maintain the highest security of the database. A senior systems analyst must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry and a strong command of system languages to mitigate system complexities and improve network processes.
The duties of an analyst lead depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis, coordinating with different departments to gather leads and data, reviewing findings, and producing reports and presentations for the stakeholders and other higher-ranking officials. Through the results, an analyst lead can provide advice, devise strategies for business optimization, spearhead the development of processes, identify strengths and weaknesses, and offer recommendations on areas in need of improvement. All of this is done while in adherence to the company's vision and mission.
Senior systems analysts and analyst leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Systems Analyst | Analyst Lead | |
| Average salary | $82,717 | $95,264 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $107,000 | Between $74,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Credit Karma | |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior systems analyst and an analyst lead in terms of educational background:
| Senior Systems Analyst | Analyst Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior systems analysts' and analyst leads' demographics:
| Senior Systems Analyst | Analyst Lead | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.2% Female, 27.8% | Male, 62.4% Female, 37.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.5% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |