Business Analyst vs. Developer: What Are the Differences?
Learn about the two careers and review some of the similarities and differences between them.
A business analyst and developer are two important roles in the business world. A business analyst is responsible for analyzing a company’s business model and making recommendations for improvement, while a developer creates software to help a company run more efficiently. Both of these positions require a high level of education and experience, and the salary for each is very competitive. In this article, we compare and contrast the job titles business analyst and developer, and we provide additional information on each profession.
What is a Business Analyst?
A business analyst is a professional who is responsible for analyzing an organization or business domain and documenting its business or processes or systems, assessing the business model or its integration with technology.
What is a Developer?
Developers create the code or applications that make computer programs run. They design, test and oversee the creation of software programs, websites and applications. Developers typically specialize in a particular coding language or type of development, such as web development, mobile development or video game development. They use their coding skills to write the instructions that tell computers what to do. Developers work in a variety of industries, including information technology, engineering, healthcare and finance.
Business Analyst vs. Developer
Here are the main differences between a business analyst and a developer.
Job Duties
Both business analysts and software developers perform a variety of tasks to help their companies improve. The duties they carry out depend on the needs of their company and the type of project they’re working on. Some of the responsibilities business analysts and developers may have include: -> Gathering requirements – Business analysts interview stakeholders, clients and other employees to learn about the needs of their customers. They write requirements documents that describe what an organization needs from a product or service. Software developers use the requirements documents to guide them as they build products.
– Business analysts interview stakeholders, clients and other employees to learn about the needs of their customers. They write requirements documents that describe what an organization needs from a product or service. Software developers use the requirements documents to guide them as they build products. Analyzing data – Both business analysts and developers use data to inform their decisions. Business analysts often use data to determine which features they should include in a product. Developers may analyze data to understand the needs of their users so they can make improvements to their products.
– Both business analysts and developers use data to inform their decisions. Business analysts often use data to determine features to include in a product. Developers may analyze data to understand the needs of their users so they can make improvements to their products. Making
Job Requirements
Business analysts and developers both need at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field. However, business analysts typically have more experience working with business software applications, while developers often have more experience coding. Business analysts also need to be able to effectively communicate with non-technical staff, as they often act as a bridge between the IT department and other departments within a company. Developers, on the other hand, need to be able to code well and work with various programming languages. They also need to be able to troubleshoot issues that arise during the development process.
Work Environment
Developers typically work in an office setting, but they may also travel to clients’ locations. They often spend their days working on a computer and collaborating with other team members. Business analysts usually work in an office environment, but they may also visit clients’ locations to observe them and learn more about their needs.
Business analysts and developers both work full time during regular business hours. Developers may occasionally work overtime or late nights if necessary.
Skills
Business analysts and developers share some skills, such as analytical thinking and problem solving. They also both use programming languages to complete their work. However, there are some key differences in the skills they use on a daily basis.
Business analysts typically use more soft skills than developers. This is because much of their job involves working with people, such as customers, to understand their needs and develop solutions that meet those needs. As a result, business analysts need excellent communication and interpersonal skills. They also need to be able to think creatively to come up with innovative solutions to problems.
Developers, on the other hand, use more technical skills than business analysts. This is because they are responsible for actually building the products or applications that business analysts design. Developers need to have a strong understanding of computer science concepts and be able to write code that is efficient and error-free. They also need to be able to troubleshoot issues that arise during the development process.
Salary
Business analysts can earn an average salary of $80,401 per year, while developers can earn an average salary of $91,880 per year. Both of these salaries can vary depending on the type of company you work for, your level of experience and your location.