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The differences between systems analysts and systems support analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a systems analyst, becoming a systems support analyst takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a systems support analyst has an average salary of $82,219, 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 systems support analyst are troubleshoot, customer service, and database.
| Systems Analyst | Systems Support Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $75,383 | $82,219 |
| Hourly rate | $36.24 | $39.53 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 141,289 | 161,168 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
A systems support analyst is responsible for supporting the operations of the technology department of an organization, resolving network issues, and maintaining the safety and security of the system database. Systems support analysts must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, identifying system process improvements, upgrading system infrastructure, and assisting end-users with navigation. They also create resolution reports for reference, including recommendations to prevent future inconsistencies and glitches. A systems support analyst conducts regular maintenance checks on the technology servers and immediately performs troubleshooting as needed for optimization.
Systems analysts and systems support analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Analyst | Systems Support Analyst | |
| Average salary | $75,383 | $82,219 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $96,000 | Between $58,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Virtu Financial |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a systems analyst and a systems support analyst in terms of educational background:
| Systems Analyst | Systems Support Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between systems analysts' and systems support analysts' demographics:
| Systems Analyst | Systems Support Analyst | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6% | Male, 70.4% Female, 29.6% |
| 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, 11.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 12.5% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 11% |