What is the difference between Programmer and Programmer Analyst?

Question

I am a java programmer, my friend is a programmer analyst. Although we do similar work, his salary is less than mine.

In contrary, I have another friend in the same company. His salary is higher than mine, yet he is also a programmer analyst.

I really do not understand which one is a better post? A Java Programmer, or a Programmer Analyst.

Answer 1

A "programmer analyst" is usually someone who is an analyst but who is expected to do some coding here and there.



An analyst is generally a "super-user" of a given program or line of programs; someone who really knows how to use it well or admin it, but who really can't program anything.



Programmer analysts tend to be able to make minor programming changes to something; for example, maybe write some simple SQL queries, or use a scripting language to get some part of the program to work differently.



Programmer is the better position.



A programmer analyst might be paid more than a programmer if the programmer is in an entry-level job and the programmer-analyst has exceptionally advanced skill in an arcane series of software; say, a very complex accounting program or a very in-depth relational database.

Answer 2

Putting Analyst in the title usually means that the person would "analyze" the requirements of a job or software package. In many instances, the Analyst would be presented with a problem or end result requested by management or some department in the company that would require an I.T. solution. The Analyst would look at the end goal, and be responsible for determining the best way to achieve the goal. Suppose the accounting department needed a complex series of reports from their software, and the system was not capable of reporting in that manner. The Analyst might decide whether to use software or coding already available to the company, use company programmers (which the Programmer / Analyst might be performing in a dual role), or outsourcing the problem because it was more complex than could be handled " in house" to achieve the end result.

Answer 3

there's no simple answer, because it depends so much on how the organization you work for applies those titles, Just check your organizations org chart and see where you guys fall on it , that should give you an idea which of the two titles has more clout.



Typically a programmer is someone who writes code, but does not design a a system a programmer /analyst may both write code but also spec. out the software project and or help architect the software



The reality in most small companies, a programmer does everything, design the database , architect the software and write code.. so there's little difference, in larger organizations there are more jobs and a more formal structure as to who does what.

Answer 4

In my experience, it means nothing. I've held essentially the exact same IT job at a few different companies for about the same pay and I've been called everything from "Developer" to "Programmer" to "Programmer / Analyst".



At the higher end of programming career paths are job titles like "Senior Developer", "Senior Programmer", "Senior Programmer / Analyst", "Software Engineer", "Software Architect"



Some companies append roman numerals or numbers to the end. In some companies that means a "Programmer I" is more experienced and higher paid than a "Programmer III" and in other companies it's the exact opposite.



Job titles are not always a good thing to use to gauge salary or seniority.

Answer 5

Programer Analyst Salary