Business Analyst Vs. Business Systems Analyst (With Salary)

Updated 27 February 2023

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Business analysts and business systems analysts both focus on developing companies and improving their productivity. The two roles can vary in terms of their primary focuses and respective job duties. If you want to determine which career path is right for you, it is important to understand how these two roles compare and contrast. In this article, we discuss the key similarities and differences between business analysts and business systems analysts, along with their salaries.

Business Analyst Vs. Business Systems Analyst

Before doing a comparative assessment of business analyst vs. business systems analyst, it is essential to know the definition of these terms:

What is a business analyst?

A business analyst is a professional who uses their skills and expertise to help businesses grow and succeed. They accomplish this by examining companies and finding areas that can use improvement. Some business analysts might also work with stakeholders and company executives to determine their goals for the company and incorporate them into the development plan. Stakeholders may ask business analysts to focus on a specific area of the company before moving on to larger objectives.

What is a business systems analyst?

A business systems analyst focuses on the specific technical systems of a company or organisation. They take or recommend the required steps to ensure that a department or team operates efficiently. Most often, systems analysts focus their work on finding areas of a business they can improve by introducing new technology or innovating a conducive approach. This can include new software to improve productivity or new hardware to replace old computers or tools.

Comparing Business Analyst Vs. Business Systems Analyst

Here are some of the key similarities and differences between business analysts and business systems analysts in various facets of their role:

Focus

Business analysts often focus on companies objectively and formulate different strategies they can use to improve the company's processes and help them achieve their goals. This means that their work is often extensive, as they enact strategies that affect the company from the executive level to the entry-level. Systems analysts focus more on improving specific parts of a company, meaning they ensure that the one department or team they are working with has the tools they require to succeed.

Education and training

Before starting their career, business analysts often earn a bachelor's degree in a business-related field, such as marketing, business administration or economics. After graduating, it is helpful for them to gain experience in an administrator role, such as human resources, where they can gain practical experience in how companies function and solve problems that affect their business. Business analysts can also pursue a master's degree or gain unique certifications to validate their candidature, which can help them attract the attention of employers.

Business systems analysts have a slightly different education path, as their work often focuses on technological systems. They often start by pursuing a bachelor's degree in a relevant field like computer science or something similar. Some employers also prefer systems analysts to have experience in computer programming, as those skills might help them develop software that departments can use to be more productive. If a systems analyst wants to move into managerial roles, they may consider gaining leadership experience or certifications.

Skills

Business analysts and business systems analysts often have a lot of skills in common, such as problem-solving, written and verbal communication, analytical skills and attention to detail. They also both benefit from interpersonal skills, organisation, project management and budgeting skills. Business analysts usually require a strong understanding of how businesses operate so they can predict what a business requires to improve. For business systems analysts, it is more important to have excellent technical skills so they can identify software and hardware solutions for a business effectively.

Tools

An area where business analysts and business systems analysts may differ is in the tools they usually use while working. Business analysts are more likely to use digital analytics tools, such as spreadsheets, data visualisation software and software for analysing data. These tools help them identify areas for improvement and prepare visual presentations for stakeholders and management.

Business systems analysts often use tools that help them audit a company's network so they can understand which parts of the system are most heavily used and require optimisation or an upgrade.

Duties

Though sometimes they may coincide, the duties of the business analyst and the business systems analyst can vary. Here are some of the major duties common for business analysts:

Evaluating a company's processes to find areas for improvement
Communicating with management and stakeholders to understand their goals and requirements
Developing solutions to help meet these goals and requirements
Regularly reviewing processes and optimising business growth and performance
Prioritising projects based on their urgency
Documenting all projects and results
Presenting insights, suggestions and results to management, stakeholders and clients
Managing projects and ensuring to meet budgets and deadlines

Here are some of the major duties you may find in a business systems analyst position:

Evaluating the processes in a company or department
Determining areas for improvement, in terms of technological efficiency
Identifying technological solutions for a company's requirements
Monitoring a company's technological systems for efficiency and performance
Estimating the costs of implementing the suggested improvements
Developing goals for improvement and monitoring progress
Managing the implementation of new or upgraded software and hardware
Educating staff members on the use of new technology

Work environment

Business analysts and business systems analysts often have similar work environments. Most spend their days in an office setting, helping executives, departments and stakeholders with various tasks and projects. One difference is that some business analysts might perform their duties remotely by talking to stakeholders through phone calls, emails or video chats, which may not be possible for most business systems analysts.

Another similarity in their work environment relates to how many hours they work. Both business and systems analysts might work for companies full time and with a regular schedule and might involve additional hours depending on company requirements or urgency.

Department

One difference between business analysts and business systems analysts is which departments they work with or report to in an organisation. Business analysts might spend time in multiple departments, possibly all of them, and report to a department that handles the overall company. Business system analysts usually work with the information technology (IT) department, as their work primarily focuses on IT solutions. They may also meet with other departments to understand their requirements while reporting to the IT department.

Areas of knowledge

Though both business analysts and business systems analysts require impressive knowledge of businesses and how to improve them, their specific areas of knowledge can differ. Business analysts often require a strong understanding of administration and the inner workings of businesses. They require knowing how to implement strategies company-wide that can improve the business' productivity and efficiency. Business systems analysts often require much more technical knowledge, such as understanding how technology can influence an employee's work and help them deliver better products and services to customers.

Stakeholder engagement

While both business analysts and business systems analysts may communicate with stakeholders, there is a difference in the range of stakeholders with whom they typically interact. Both usually meet regularly with stakeholders to discuss their requirements, plans and goals. Business analysts may meet with a wider range of stakeholders as their work may involve almost all departments of a company and they require a broader understanding of the company's requirements. Business systems analysts usually engage with only stakeholders who have an involvement in aspects of the company the analyst is working to improve.

Salaries

Another area where business analysts and business systems analysts differ is their expected yearly salaries. The national average salary for business analysts is ₹25,469 per month. The national average salary for business systems analysts is ₹69,148 per month, meaning it can be a more lucrative career option than being a business analyst, depending on your qualifications and educational background.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at the time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.