Systems analyst is like a programmer analyst without the coding. I agree, in my experience small shops were more likely to have just programmer analysts. Often also responsible for hardware as well.

If it’s just you I hope you didn’t need a systems analyst to gather requirements and then work with the programmer to implement them. If you did, might need another kind of analysis. ;)

True.

A good systems analyst can effectively translate user requirements into accurate statements, does not need to be a programmer. Good systems analysts are generally more adept in asking clarifying questions, challenging assumptions and sussing out needs. Good programmers will still be needed but their time is wasted gathering requirements.