Budget Analyst Job Description

What Does a Budget Analyst Do?

Before leaders approve a new program, a new position or a pay raise, somebody has to tell them what it will cost. In government agencies, companies and universities, that answer usually comes from a budget analyst, who reviews department requests, builds revenue and spending forecasts and flags units heading for a deficit.

Also known as: Senior Budget Analyst, Associate Budget Analyst

Budget Analyst Duties and Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of a budget analyst include:

• Review department budget requests and check each line against past spending and stated priorities.
• Build revenue and expense forecasts in Excel or a budgeting system for the coming fiscal year.
• Track actual spending against the approved budget each month and flag units heading for a deficit.
• Write short memos explaining variances, risks and options for the budget director.
• Estimate the cost of proposed programs, positions or salary changes before leaders decide.
• Prepare budget books, board presentations and requests to trustees or the legislature.
• Process budget transfers and amendments, checking that each one follows fiscal policy.
• Meet with department managers to explain budget rules, deadlines and forms.
• Model the effect of tuition, enrollment or tax revenue changes on next year's plan.
• Maintain position control records that tie budgeted jobs to actual payroll costs.

Required Skills and Qualifications

To succeed as a budget analyst, you will need the following skills and qualifications:

• Advanced Excel modeling
• Planning systems such as Oracle Hyperion or Workday Adaptive Planning
• Governmental or fund accounting basics
• Clear writing for readers outside finance
• Forecasting and cost analysis
• Tact with managers competing for limited funds
• Accuracy under fiscal-year deadlines
• Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, economics or public administration

Education and Training

Most budget analysts start with a bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, economics or public administration, the usual entry level in BLS data for the occupation. Strong Excel skill is assumed. You may become a senior analyst after several budget cycles and a budget director some years after that, often with a master's in public administration or business along the way.

Salary and Job Outlook

The median annual wage for budget analysts was about $92,000 in May 2025, according to BLS. BLS projects employment of budget analysts to grow about 2 percent from 2025 to 2035. That is slow growth for a small occupation, so the roughly 2,900 openings a year that BLS expects will mostly come from analysts who retire or move up.

Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Budget analysts.