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The differences between subject matter experts and 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 subject matter expert and an analyst. Additionally, a subject matter expert has an average salary of $103,749, which is higher than the $73,007 average annual salary of an analyst.
The top three skills for a subject matter expert include SME, project management and DOD. The most important skills for an analyst are customer service, troubleshoot, and data analysis.
| Subject Matter Expert | Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $103,749 | $73,007 |
| Hourly rate | $49.88 | $35.10 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 58,235 | 253,138 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A subject matter expert is someone who has special knowledge and expertise about a specific process or service, providing advice to other team members or directly assisting customers with their inquiries and concerns. Subject matter experts coordinate on planning strategic procedures to improve the work processes and ensure customer satisfaction. They are also active in participating in learning programs and training sessions to share their knowledge and best practices for their specialization. Subject matter experts identify potential business opportunities to generate more revenues for the business and achieve its profitability goals.
Analysts are employees or individual contributors with a vast experience in a particular field that help the organization address challenges. They help the organization improve processes, policies, and other operations protocol by studying the current processes in place and determining the effectiveness of those processes. They also research industry trends and data to make sound inferences and recommendations on what the company should do to improve their numbers. Analysts recommend business solutions and often help the organization roll out these solutions. They ensure that the proposed action plans are effective and produce the desired results.
Subject matter experts and analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Subject Matter Expert | Analyst | |
| Average salary | $103,749 | $73,007 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $146,000 | Between $53,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a subject matter expert and an analyst in terms of educational background:
| Subject Matter Expert | Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between subject matter experts' and analysts' demographics:
| Subject Matter Expert | Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.8% Female, 36.2% | Male, 52.4% Female, 47.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 12.1% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |