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Budget Analyst

$91,640
median / year
$62,250 – $136,660
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Build and review organization budgets, track spending, and recommend where money should go.

You may also see this posted as: Budget and Policy Analyst, Budget Officer, Budget Planning Analyst, Budget Coordinator, Cost Analyst, Financial Services Officer.

Where you work

Offices in government, universities, and companies.

The hours

Full-time, busier at budget deadlines

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Analyze monthly department budgeting and accounting reports to maintain expenditure controls.
  • Provide advice and technical assistance with cost analysis, fiscal allocation, and budget preparation.
  • Review operating budgets to analyze trends affecting budget needs.
  • Compile and analyze accounting records and other data to determine the financial resources required to implement a program.
  • Examine budget estimates for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with procedures and regulations.

Good fit if you like…

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

Enterprising

leading, persuading, selling, or turning an idea into action

Investigative

solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work

O*NET job zone 4 of 5

High preparation—usually a four-year degree plus experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

Attention to DetailDependabilityIntegrityCautiousness

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Microsoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Power BIMicrosoft PowerPoint

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$91,640
per year
Hourly median
$44.06
per hour
What most earn
$62,250–$136,660
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~3,100
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+1%
Little change
Working in the U.S.
47,160
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: Bachelor's degree.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: None.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

Financial analysisSpreadsheetsForecastingReport writing

The honest take

A quieter finance role with a strong paycheck, common across government and large organizations.

Standard Occupational Classification 13-2031. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.