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The differences between systems analysts and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a project manager has an average salary of $91,578, which is higher than the $75,383 average annual salary of a systems analyst.
The top three skills for a systems analyst include customer service, project management and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.
| Systems Analyst | Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $75,383 | $91,578 |
| Hourly rate | $36.24 | $44.03 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 141,289 | 167,116 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.17 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | - |
A systems analyst is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of technology systems and analyzing its efficiency for business operations and clients' needs. Systems analysts create specific modifications to operating systems and help design solutions and processes. Other tasks include managing the system's workflow, diagnosing and detecting malfunctions, performing troubleshooting, and assisting clients' with their concerns. A systems analyst must have excellent command with programming languages and the knowledge with the technology industry to understand systems' complexities and processes.
Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.
Systems analysts and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Analyst | Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $75,383 | $91,578 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $96,000 | Between $64,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a systems analyst and a project manager in terms of educational background:
| Systems Analyst | Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between systems analysts' and project managers' demographics:
| Systems Analyst | Project Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6% | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 14.4% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 10% |