Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between software test analysts and business analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a software test analyst and a business analyst. Additionally, a software test analyst has an average salary of $78,713, which is higher than the $74,431 average annual salary of a business analyst.
The top three skills for a software test analyst include test scripts, test results and regression. The most important skills for a business analyst are project management, data analysis, and business analysis.
| Software Test Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $78,713 | $74,431 |
| Hourly rate | $37.84 | $35.78 |
| Growth rate | - | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 94,928 | 170,514 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Software test analysts negotiate testing criteria, conduct tests, and report the data gathered from testing. They collaborate with customers and vendors to clarify use cases for the test products. They use this information to formulate testing protocols and to ensure software meets users' expectations.
Business analysts are employees who are responsible for interpreting business data and coming up with business solutions. They are well-versed in whatever business the company is in, and they have strong business acumen. They collect data related to the business and then interpret and analyze the data. Business analysts should be able to conduct different levels of analyses and must also be able to create a sound study. Once the analysis is done, they provide recommendations or strategic direction to decision-makers that will help the business become sustainable and grow.
Software test analysts and business analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Test Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Average salary | $78,713 | $74,431 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $100,000 | Between $53,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | IDEXX | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Finance |
There are a few differences between a software test analyst and a business analyst in terms of educational background:
| Software Test Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between software test analysts' and business analysts' demographics:
| Software Test Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.4% Female, 40.6% | Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |