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The differences between subject matter experts and business analyst/project managers 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 a business analyst/project manager. Additionally, a subject matter expert has an average salary of $103,749, which is higher than the $99,882 average annual salary of a business analyst/project manager.
The top three skills for a subject matter expert include SME, project management and DOD. The most important skills for a business analyst/project manager are project management, business stakeholders, and business process.
| Subject Matter Expert | Business Analyst/Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $103,749 | $99,882 |
| Hourly rate | $49.88 | $48.02 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 58,235 | 173,827 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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.
A business analyst/project manager is responsible for developing project management procedures, analyzing processes, and ensuring the accuracy and efficiency of project deliverables, following clients' specifications and requirements to meet their highest satisfaction. Business analysts/project managers manage project resources, delegate tasks to project staff, setting deadlines, and coordinating with the clients for regular updates and suggest strategic adjustments as needed. They also mitigate potential risks and manage changes during the project execution, maintaining the quality of the outputs, and balancing costs to meet the clients' budget goals.
Subject matter experts and business analyst/project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Subject Matter Expert | Business Analyst/Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $103,749 | $99,882 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $146,000 | Between $72,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Apple | Citi |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Finance |
There are a few differences between a subject matter expert and a business analyst/project manager in terms of educational background:
| Subject Matter Expert | Business Analyst/Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between subject matter experts' and business analyst/project managers' demographics:
| Subject Matter Expert | Business Analyst/Project Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.8% Female, 36.2% | Male, 55.8% Female, 44.2% |
| 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, 7.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |