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Government
U.S. Department of Defense, State of California, City of New York
Budget Analysts
Budget analysts help organizations decide where money should go, whether the numbers add up, and whether spending stays within the rules. The work stands out because it sits between finance and operations: you have to explain budgets to non-finance managers while also catching errors, gaps, and compliance problems. The tradeoff is that the job can be steady and well paid, but it is also detail-heavy, deadline-driven, and tied closely to annual budget cycles and policy constraints.
Also known as Budget AnalystBudget and Financial AnalystFinancial Budget AnalystBudget SpecialistGovernment Budget Analyst
Median Salary
$87,930
Mean $93,920
U.S. Workforce
~47K
3.1K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+1%
50.4K to 51K
Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Budget Analysts sits in the Finance category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~47K workers, with a median annual pay of $87,930 and roughly 3.1K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 50.4 K in 2024 to 51K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, economics, public administration, or business, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Budget Technician and can progress toward Budget Manager. High-value skills usually include Excel, PivotTables & Budget Models, Financial Forecasting, Variance Analysis & Scenario Planning, and ERP Systems (SAP, Oracle & Workday), paired with soft skills such as Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Complex Problem Solving.
Core Responsibilities
- Prepare regular and one-time budget reports so managers can see how money is being planned and spent.
- Check budget requests for mistakes, missing details, and whether they follow the organization’s rules.
- Track funding set aside for specific programs and compare it with larger budget pools, including emergency reserves.
- Help teams estimate costs, assign funds, and build budgets that match project goals.
Keep exploring: more Finance careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Prepare regular and one-time budget reports so managers can see how money is being planned and spent.
02 Check budget requests for mistakes, missing details, and whether they follow the organization’s rules.
03 Track funding set aside for specific programs and compare it with larger budget pools, including emergency reserves.
04 Help teams estimate costs, assign funds, and build budgets that match project goals.
05 Review monthly spending reports to spot overspending, unusual trends, and areas where spending needs to be controlled.
06 Study accounting records and past budgets to estimate how much money a program will need in the future.
Industries That Hire
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Healthcare
Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic, HCA Healthcare
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Higher Education
Harvard University, University of California, Stanford University
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Finance and Insurance
JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Fidelity Investments
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Manufacturing and Aerospace
Boeing, General Motors, Lockheed Martin
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is solid for an office-based role, with a mean wage of $93,920 and a median of $87,930.
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You usually need a bachelor's degree, and BLS lists no work experience or on-the-job training as typical entry requirements.
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There are about 3.1 thousand annual openings, so people still leave and retire even though growth is slow.
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The skills transfer across government, healthcare, higher education, and corporate finance, which gives you more than one employer type to target.
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The work mixes analysis, communication, and problem-solving, so it is more varied than pure data entry or bookkeeping.
Challenges
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Growth is barely moving: employment is projected to rise only 1.0% from 2024 to 2034, which limits the number of new openings created by expansion.
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A lot of the job is checking rules, comparing numbers, and explaining budget changes, so the work can feel repetitive and overly procedural.
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Because budgets follow annual cycles, workload often spikes during planning season, year-end close, and times of funding cuts or freezes.
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Some of the routine reporting and variance checking can be automated by budgeting software and self-service dashboards, which puts pressure on the simpler parts of the role.
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Career progress can plateau unless you move into management, accounting, or a specialized finance track, and public-sector pay may lag behind private-sector options.
Career Progression
Budget Technician
0-2 years
$45K-$58K
Handles data entry, basic reconciliations, and simple report prep while learning how budgets and funding codes work.
Junior Budget Analyst
3-5 years
$59K-$78K
Builds routine budget reports, checks spending against plans, and helps managers prepare requests and explanations.
Budget Analyst THIS ROLE
6-9 years
$79K-$105K
Owns budget reviews, forecasts, and spending controls for one or more departments; the median salary of $87,930 fits here.
Senior Budget Analyst
10-14 years
$106K-$130K
Manages complex programs, advises leaders on tradeoffs, and handles forecasting for larger or more sensitive budgets.
Budget Manager
15+ years
$131K-$165K
Leads the budgeting function, sets review standards, and makes high-level recommendations on funding priorities.
Education Paths
Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, economics, public administration, or business
The main entry point, held by 77.48% of workers in this role, and the path most employers expect for new hires.
Master's degree in public administration, finance, or accounting
A smaller path, held by 7.59% of workers, that can help for competitive government jobs or faster advancement.
High school diploma with strong office, bookkeeping, or budget support experience
An uncommon path, held by 12.57% of workers, but many employers still prefer applicants with a bachelor's degree.
Budgeting or finance certificate
A useful alternative for people moving up from budget clerical or finance support roles, especially if they already know spreadsheets and reporting tools.
Key Skills
Technical
Excel, PivotTables & Budget Models 92%
Financial Forecasting, Variance Analysis & Scenario Planning 88%
ERP Systems (SAP, Oracle & Workday) 84%
Cost Allocation, Appropriations Tracking & Budget Reporting 80%
Quantitative Analysis & Budget Mathematics 78%
Power BI, Tableau & Financial Dashboards 74%
Soft Skills
Critical ThinkingActive ListeningComplex Problem SolvingJudgment and Decision MakingReading ComprehensionSpeaking Job Outlook and Trends
+1%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
3.1K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 50.4K to 51 K over the next decade, representing 1% growth. Around 3.1 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Moderate. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.