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The differences between test analysts and data 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 test analyst and a data analyst. Additionally, a data analyst has an average salary of $74,342, which is higher than the $70,997 average annual salary of a test analyst.
The top three skills for a test analyst include test scripts, test plan and regression. The most important skills for a data analyst are data analysis, python, and power bi.
| Test Analyst | Data Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $70,997 | $74,342 |
| Hourly rate | $34.13 | $35.74 |
| Growth rate | - | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 91,308 | 167,520 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The duties of a test analyst depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In the information technology setting, a test analyst is responsible for testing computer software or hardware to ensure its quality before being released in the market. They participate in the development process to monitor the product specifications, review and analyze documentation, and create test systems, implementing them promptly and efficiently. As a test analyst, it is essential to produce progress reports, prepare presentations, and even give recommendations.
Data analysts are responsible for interpreting the company's statistics and providing sound recommendations to the organization. They manage the organization's data sets, usually related to market performance, finance, or human resources. They are in charge of studying the available data, spotting trends, interpreting what the data and the trends mean, and recommending suggestions that will help the organization perform better. Their recommendations should also be relevant and backed up with strong analyses. Data analysts are expected to have a good grasp of the current market trends in the industry.
Test analysts and data analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Test Analyst | Data Analyst | |
| Average salary | $70,997 | $74,342 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $88,000 | Between $53,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | General Motors | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a test analyst and a data analyst in terms of educational background:
| Test Analyst | Data Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between test analysts' and data analysts' demographics:
| Test Analyst | Data Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.2% Female, 44.8% | Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 | 11% | 12% |