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The differences between strategic planning analysts and policy 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 strategic planning analyst and a policy analyst. Additionally, a strategic planning analyst has an average salary of $77,834, which is higher than the $66,359 average annual salary of a policy analyst.
The top three skills for a strategic planning analyst include powerpoint, data analysis and market research. The most important skills for a policy analyst are public policy, policy analysis, and policy issues.
| Strategic Planning Analyst | Policy Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $77,834 | $66,359 |
| Hourly rate | $37.42 | $31.90 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 58,606 | 69,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A strategic planning analyst specializes in developing strategies to help businesses deal with organizational issues and reach their short and long-term goals. Among their responsibilities include understanding the company's needs and goals, performing extensive research and analysis to identify client and business opportunities, setting up guidelines and timelines, gathering and analyzing data to identify the strengths and weaknesses of current operations, and developing analytical models and forecasts. Moreover, a strategic planning analyst must recommend solutions while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Policy analysts are responsible for developing government policies and providing advice and briefing to senior management. These professionals work to influence both social and political decisions. They typically work in four key areas, including collecting information, analyzing policies, providing recommendations, and sharing information with government officials and the public. Additionally, they are also expected to consult with stakeholders to provide quantitative evidence supporting their policy. The rest of their time is spent on writing, reading, and analyzing information.
Strategic planning analysts and policy analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Strategic Planning Analyst | Policy Analyst | |
| Average salary | $77,834 | $66,359 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $110,000 | Between $47,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | Arlington, VA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a strategic planning analyst and a policy analyst in terms of educational background:
| Strategic Planning Analyst | Policy Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Political Science |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between strategic planning analysts' and policy analysts' demographics:
| Strategic Planning Analyst | Policy Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.5% Female, 44.5% | Male, 46.1% Female, 53.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 14.2% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 12.1% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |