Confused between a data analyst or a business analyst? Both roles deal with vast amounts of data but are frequently confused and used interchangeably.
The distinction may not be noticeable in small organizations, but in large corporations, each of these professions carries out a variety of tasks and are responsible for various tasks. This article illustrates the key distinctions between the roles of a business analyst and a data analyst to assist you in making the best career decision.
The Data Analyst
To help people make well-informed decisions, data analysts employ specialized tools and procedures. Comparatively speaking, a data analyst’s job is far more technical than a business analyst’s. A data analyst’s main duties are as follows:
- Configuring databases to collect and store data from numerous enterprise sources, both internal and external.
- Extracting, transforming, and cleaning data from structured and unstructured formats, so it can be easily analyzed.
- Publish data analysis reports to help senior management make more informed choices.
In terms of education, obtaining a position as a data analyst necessitates holding a graduate degree in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). In addition, you will enjoy working as a data analyst if you have experience in statistics, computer science, information management, or finance.
You can quickly start a career as a data analyst by earning certifications in programming languages like R, Python, BDA, Hadoop/Big Data, and other scripting languages.
Expert data analysts are paid well since they have experience. Bright and talented data analysts are always in demand by finance, insurance, e-commerce, and investment banking businesses. In addition, data analysts are well-positioned to enter the most prestigious and sought-after fields, such as Data Science, Business Intelligence (BI), AI, and ML.
The Business Analyst
The business analyst’s responsibility is to evaluate data and produce information that will help standardize and enhance business measurements. Although it doesn’t require in-depth data manipulation or technological expertise, the BA needs to be aware of business- and industry-specific processes, including forecasting, budgeting, operational excellence, and hiring.
Building strategic, tactical, and operational knowledge is a typical requirement of the business analyst’s role to create more effective goals and objectives for the company. The business analyst frequently uses data that the data analyst has provided.
Business analyst has a good education background in business administration, consulting, general management, or IT. The following are some of the top qualities of a business analyst:
- Excellent analytical skills
- Strong interpersonal and communications skills
- Advanced Excel skills
- Being adept at problem-solving
A business analyst makes an average annual base pay of INR 6 lakhs. Almost all businesses are looking for business analysts to gather information, develop the appropriate documentation, conduct analyses, and produce reports for top business executives.
While working with data is a requirement for both business analysts and data analysts, their respective outputs are different. Therefore, you must take into consideration the following important factors before picking your job path:
- Whether you prefer working with numbers or are more interested in the business side.
- You either come from a technical or business background.
- Jobs requiring a data analyst have a higher development curve, but they also demand constant learning and upgrading.
Final Words
However, both positions are in high demand and are experiencing a significant increase in demand. Business or data analysts will keep organizations afloat as the globe begins to drown in an abundance of data. You can pick from a wide variety of free introductory courses offered online to assist you in choosing the best path for your career!
