Career Explorer Business and finance
Changing shape
Budget analysts
Examine budget estimates for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with procedures and regulations. Analyze budgeting and accounting reports.
Among the careers AI is changing fastest: more resilient than 8% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is very high (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it very high), and US jobs are projected to change by +1.9% by 2035, slower than average. The work leans on ethical judgement.
AI can do many of the tasks, and hiring is expected to grow slower than average or to shrink. The job is likely to change, so build the human parts of it.
- Median pay (2025)
- $91,640
- Job growth to 2035
- +1.9%
- Openings a year
- 2,900
- People doing it (2025)
- 50,400
- Usual route in
- Bachelor's degree
Where people already use AI for this work
- Analyze business or financial data
- Advise others on financial matters
- Gather information from physical or electronic sources
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets
- Communicate with others about business strategies
- Develop organizational policies, systems, or processes
What the work looks like
- 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.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Accountants and auditorsGrows with AI, Index 14, +5.0%
- Property appraisers and assessorsGrows with AI, Index 11, +3.5%
- Cost estimatorsChanging shape, Index 10, -3.1%
- Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialistsGrows with AI, Index 27, +6.0%
Also known as: Budget Analyst, Budget and Policy Analyst, Budget Officer, Budget Planning Analyst, Budget Coordinator, Cost Analyst, Financial Services Officer, Fiscal Analyst.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.