Business & Finance
Budget Analysts
Examine budget estimates for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with procedures and regulations. Analyze budgeting and accounting reports.
Median salary (BLS)
$91,640
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$62k – $137k
Job outlook
+1% (about average)
AI exposure
Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $112,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.
Plan a path to Budget Analysts
Education
Typical entry: Bachelor's degree
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Budget Analysts Intern
Internship
$36,000
~4 mos to advance
Junior Budget Analysts
Entry / Junior
$62,250
~2 yrs to advance
Budget Analysts
Established
$91,640
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Budget Analysts
Senior
$114,150
Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.
Key skills
A typical day
- •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.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Business & Finance
Explore all- University of Pennsylvania6% admit · $112,000 grad pay
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology4% admit · $124,000 grad pay
- Harvard University4% admit · $119,000 grad pay
- University of California, Berkeley11% admit · $97,000 grad pay
- New York University12% admit · $84,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.