Budget Analysts
Examine budget estimates for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with procedures and regulations. Analyze budgeting and accounting reports.
Most important skills
- Mathematics
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Management of Financial Resources
Key knowledge
- Economics and Accounting
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Administrative
- Computers and Electronics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Law and Government
What the work involves
- Analyze monthly department budgeting and accounting reports to maintain expenditure controls.
- Direct the preparation of regular and special budget reports.
- Consult with managers to ensure that budget adjustments are made in accordance with program changes.
- Match appropriations for specific programs with appropriations for broader programs, including items for emergency funds.
- Provide advice and technical assistance with cost analysis, fiscal allocation, and budget preparation.
- Summarize budgets and submit recommendations for the approval or disapproval of funds requests.
- Seek new ways to improve efficiency and increase profits.
- Review operating budgets to analyze trends affecting budget needs.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Conventional, Enterprising, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Bachelor's Degree (77.5% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (45.6%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (43.4%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Budget Analysts is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Moderate | Higher on contact with others than 53% of occupations compared | 59% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | High | Higher on dealing with the public than 76% of occupations compared | 73% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Teamwork | Very high | Higher on teamwork than 87% of occupations compared | 85% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | High | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 62% of occupations compared | 67% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom” |
| Time pressure | High | Higher on time pressure than 79% of occupations compared | 45% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day” |
| Conflict situations | High | Higher on conflict situations than 61% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Very low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 82% of occupations compared | 46% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Consequence of error | Moderate | Lower on consequence of error than 59% of occupations compared | 39% of surveyed respondents chose “Not serious at all” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: high
- Conflict situations: high
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
- Consequence of error: moderate
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 4.64%
- Contact with others about half the time: 7.76%
- Contact with others most of the time: 28.61%
- Constant contact with others: 58.99%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2024
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 13.93%
- Fairly important: 8.89%
- Important: 4.64%
- Very important: 0%
- Extremely important: 72.54%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2024
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 5.24%
- Important: 6.44%
- Very important: 3.45%
- Extremely important: 84.87%
n = 16, Incumbent 08/2024
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 0%
- Limited freedom: 4.06%
- Some freedom: 66.71%
- A lot of freedom: 29.22%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2024
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 0%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 18.43%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 36.94%
- Every day: 44.63%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2024
Conflict situations
- Never: 5.02%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 33.51%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 16.59%
- Once a week or more but not every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Every day: 0%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2024
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 19.61%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 34.71%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 45.67%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 0%
- Every day: 0%
n = 16, Incumbent 08/2024
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 38.75%
- Fairly serious: 4.05%
- Serious: 15.1%
- Very serious: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Extremely serious: 19.61%
n = 16, Incumbent 08/2024
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O*NET-SOC 13-2031.00 · SOC 13-2031 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8