Annual Salary

• The average annual salary for a financial and budget analyst in the United States was $70,660 a year as of May 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salaries started at less than $44,860 a year in the 10th percentile and exceeded $101,660 in the 90th percentile. The median annual income for financial and budget analysts was $68,200.
  
  

Industry

• The highest-paid government financial and budget analysts worked for the federal executive branch at an average salary of $77,330 a year as of 2010, reports the bureau. Analysts working for state governments earned an average of $62,060, and those working for local governments earned an average of $67,500 a year. Companies and enterprises employed budget analysts for an average of $73,310 annually, and colleges, universities and professional schools offered an average of $63,860. Those working in the industry of aerospace product and parts manufacturing earned an average of $74,690 a year, while those working for the monetary authorities-central bank earned an average of $79,360.
  
  

Location

• Both the highest concentration of jobs and the highest salaries for financial and budget analysts were found in the District of Columbia, where the bureau reported 3.31 analysts were employed per every thousand jobs for an average salary of $86,410 a year as of 2010. Virginia was the second highest-paying state, with an average of $81,060 a year, followed by California, with an average of $78,120. Maryland and Connecticut also ranked as high-paying states for budget analysts, with salary averages exceeding $75,500 annually.
  
  

Outlook

• The bureau expects job opportunities for financial and budget analysts to increase by 15 percent between 2008 and 2018, a rate faster than the average rate for all jobs in the United States. Demand for these analysts will be strong in both public and private industries. Although employers often require only a bachelor’s degree, analysts with a master’s degree, as well as experience with spreadsheet, database and financial analyst software packages, are expected to have the best opportunities.