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The differences between user experience researchers and research analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a user experience researcher and a research analyst. Additionally, a user experience researcher has an average salary of $99,849, which is higher than the $70,232 average annual salary of a research analyst.
The top three skills for a user experience researcher include user research, user experience and research methods. The most important skills for a research analyst are data analysis, data collection, and research projects.
| User Experience Researcher | Research Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $99,849 | $70,232 |
| Hourly rate | $48.00 | $33.77 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 24,148 | 81,374 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A user experience (UX) researcher is an individual who is responsible for analyzing actual consumer behavior and needs to design products and services that may have an impact on business companies. User experience researchers provide informed insights and then work with product managers to turn these insights into consumer-centric results that resonate with customers. They are required to conduct in-depth and advanced research both in qualitative and quantitative methods to identify user needs and goals and provide recommendations for improvement. User experience researchers are also required to participate in the recruitment activities for user research.
A research analyst is responsible for providing a company with insights and advice concerning finance, investments, and expenditures. Utilizing their analytical skills and extensive expertise in marketing, they analyze the trends and significant factors to conclude which decision should be the best to make. They can also take part in conducting an in-depth analysis of a business and examine which areas require improvement or has potential. Furthermore, they may work with a company or independently as a freelance analyst.
User experience researchers and research analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| User Experience Researcher | Research Analyst | |
| Average salary | $99,849 | $70,232 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $135,000 | Between $45,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Finance |
There are a few differences between a user experience researcher and a research analyst in terms of educational background:
| User Experience Researcher | Research Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | University of Maryland - College Park | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between user experience researchers' and research analysts' demographics:
| User Experience Researcher | Research Analyst | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8% | Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |