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Role hub · Budget Analysts

Budget Analyst: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of budget analysts earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$91,640
Hourly
$44.06
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Budget Analysts examine budget estimates for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with procedures and regulations. The median pay is $91,640 a year ($44.06 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a bachelor's degree (77% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$91,640
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
47,160
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 4 of 5
considerable preparation
Most common education
Bachelor's Degree
77% of workers
Key facts

Budget Analysts at a glance

  • Budget analysts in the United States earned a median annual wage of $91,640 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • In its 2025–35 employment projections, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for budget analysts in the United States.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS projects employment of budget analysts in the United States to grow 1.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,900 openings a year on average, including replacement openings.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS estimated that 47,160 people were employed as budget analysts in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the role

Every page for Budget Analysts

SalaryBudget Analyst salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

Open →How to becomeBudget Analyst how to become

Education, training and the skills to build first.

Open →ResumeBudget Analyst resume

Keywords, bullet formulas and the skills to prove.

Open →Interview questionsBudget Analyst interview questions

Questions with what they test, plus practice mode.

Open →Free toolCheck your resume

Parsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.

Open →
The work

What budget analysts do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Analyze monthly department budgeting and accounting reports to maintain expenditure controls.
  2. Provide advice and technical assistance with cost analysis, fiscal allocation, and budget preparation.
  3. Review operating budgets to analyze trends affecting budget needs.
  4. Compile and analyze accounting records and other data to determine the financial resources required to implement a program.
  5. Examine budget estimates for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with procedures and regulations.
  6. Summarize budgets and submit recommendations for the approval or disapproval of funds requests.
  7. Consult with managers to ensure that budget adjustments are made in accordance with program changes.
  8. Direct the preparation of regular and special budget reports.
Where this career works

Industries that employ it

Data Share of all budget analyst jobs in each industry, 2025 (BLS Employment Matrix).

  1. Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals50.5% of all jobs in this occupation · -1.3% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $98,400
  2. Educational services; state, local, and private14.8% of all jobs in this occupation · +2.2% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $82,070
  3. Professional, scientific, and technical services8.6% of all jobs in this occupation · +12.0% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $106,910
  4. Management of companies and enterprises6.2% of all jobs in this occupation · +4.6% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $95,820
  5. Hospitals; state, local, and private2.9% of all jobs in this occupation · +3.7% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $100,780
  6. Transportation equipment manufacturing1.4% of all jobs in this occupation · +5.6% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $98,850

Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.

Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

MathematicscoreCritical ThinkingcoreComplex Problem SolvingcoreJudgment and Decision MakingReading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingManagement of Financial ResourcesActive Learning

Knowledge areas: Economics and Accounting, Mathematics, English Language, Administration and Management, Administrative, Computers and Electronics.

Tools and technology

Software budget analysts use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Budget monitoring systemsFinancial analysis software
  • Financial reporting softwareFinancial analysis software
  • Graphics softwareGraphics or photo imaging software
  • Human resources management system HRMSHuman resources software
  • Microsoft FRxFinancial analysis software
  • Oracle E-Business Suite FinancialsFinancial analysis software
  • Oracle Performance Management SuitesFinancial analysis software
  • Payroll softwareTime accounting software
  • SAP BusinessObjects Crystal ReportsData base reporting software
  • Satori Group proCubeFinancial analysis software
  • Statistical softwareAnalytical or scientific software
  • Time and attendance softwareTime accounting software

Also called: Budget and Policy Analyst, Budget Coordinator, Budget Officer, Budget Planning Analyst, Cost Analyst.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the cosine similarity of the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level and subtract the average across all occupations, then compare the direction of the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 means unrelated or opposite (negative values are shown as 0). Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).

How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.