Data Analyst Vs Business Analyst

Business Analyst vs Data Analyst – What is the difference?

Both roles help the business achieve its business goals and objectives. But these roles differ in how they achieve the goals, Read more.

Business Analyst Vs Data Analyst

Most businesses today are propelled by data. They depend on data for effective decision-making, insights and achievement of their objectives. There are two key roles that are crucial in any organization: Data Analysts and Business Analysts. Conversely, they have different characteristics despite their few similarities. This article will focus on the differences between Data Analysts and Business Analysts.

What do Business Analysts do?

Business analysts define business problems, gather requirements and analyse them. Business analysts also assist in deriving the solutions that meet the objectives of the organization. Additionally, they also work together with stakeholders to understand the business processes and find ways of making improvements.

Some of the key tasks of Business Analysts are:

  • Performing Gap Analysis
  • Creating Business Requirement Documents
  • Development of Project Plans
  • Cost Benefit Analysis
  • Risk Assessment/Opportunity Identification

What do Data Analysts do?

Data analysts, on the contrary, use techniques and tools to collect, analyze and interpret large volumes of data. They employ various methods for collecting insights from the information that allows users to understand the data and make decisions.

Some of the key tasks of Data Analysts are:

  • Data Collection and Scrubbing
  • Data Visualization and Dashboards
  • Create Predictive Models
  • Analyse Trends and Patterns
  • Discover areas of Improvement

Skills required for Business Analyst Vs Data Analyst

For Business Analysts and Data Analysts to succeed in their respective positions, there are some skills that they must acquire. Superior communication and problem-solving abilities are essential for business analysts. Furthermore, they have to be familiar with concepts of business processes, project management, and data analysis.

Skills needed to become a Business Analyst:

  • Good Communication
  • Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills
  • Domain Knowledge
  • Technical Aptitude (Optional)

On the other hand, data analysts require good analytical and technical skills. Thus, they should have a good knowledge and experience in using data analysis tools, and techniques as well as data visualization and statistical analysis.

Skills needed to become a Data Analyst:

  • Database and Programming Language such as SQL, Python, and R
  • Visualization tools such as Power BI, Tableau
  • Data manipulation
  • Statistical analysis

Salary offered for Business Analyst Vs Data Analyst

  • India’s average salary for a Business Analyst is 6,87,421 INR per annum compared to the United States where it is $74,849 while in Canada it is C$70,665 per year according to Payscale.com.
  • In India, the average salary of a Data Analyst comes to INR 6,72,000 every year with higher salaries for those with advanced skills and experience according to Glassdoor.co.in. In the US it is $67 314 and C$62 009 in Canada.

One must be aware that the salary range will vary significantly based on factors such as total experience and industry.

Sources:

Business Analyst, IT Salary in India in 2024 | PayScale

Business Analyst, IT Salary in Canada in 2024 | PayScale

Business Analyst, IT Salary in 2024 | PayScale

Salary: Data Analyst in India 2024 | Glassdoor

Data Analyst Salary in 2024 | PayScale

Data Analyst Salary in Canada in 2024 | PayScale

Career Prospects of Business Analyst Vs Data Analyst

As per the recent survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for data analyst jobs is estimated to grow by 23% between 2024 and 2032. In fact, the global data analytics market is expected to witness expansion with projections showing it skyrocketing from $61.44 billion in 2023 to $581.34 billion in 2033.

Source:

Operations Research Analysts: Occupational Outlook Handbook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov)

Global Data Analytics Market Size To Exceed USD 581.34 (globenewswire.com)

Business Analyst Career Road Map | IIBA®

Prerequisites for Business Analyst Vs Data Analyst

  • To be a Business Analyst one must possess at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science, business administration or any other fields. They can also undertake certification courses in Business Analysis and become experts in such aspects.
  • To be a Data Analyst, you need to have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, statistics, mathematics or related field. Also, expertise is required in tools and techniques for data analysis like SQL, Python, R and Excel. Alternatively, you could show certification on your resume to help score a data analyst job.

What can we do for you?

One can take up Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) or CCBA or ECBA from IIBA among other certification courses to become a successful Business Analyst. One may pursue certification courses such as IIBA CBDA, Microsoft Power BI, Tableau and Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) to become a Data Analyst.

We at Techcanvass provide the below pieces of training:

For Business Analyst:

For Data Analyst:

In summary, the roles of Data Analysts and Business Analysts overlap to some extent but differ with respect to the skills required, job specifications and payment scales. Overall, these two positions are very important for companies to achieve their business goals.

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