Budget Analysts Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for budget analystss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $96,370 ≈ $46/hr
National median salary $91,640
Total employment 47,160 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +1%
Slower than average
Annual openings 3,100 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 50,400 → 51,000 (+500)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$124,680
- Virginia$112,310
- Maryland$110,120
- California$105,890
- Michigan$102,500
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Arkansas$73,710
- Mississippi$77,220
- Montana$78,760
- North Dakota$79,420
- Kentucky$81,510
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $124,680 | $124,590 | $60 | +29.4% | 1,490 |
| 2 | Virginia | $112,310 | $105,470 | $54 | +16.5% | 2,730 |
| 3 | Maryland | $110,120 | $106,020 | $53 | +14.3% | 2,490 |
| 4 | California | $105,890 | $99,520 | $51 | +9.9% | 4,160 |
| 5 | Michigan | $102,500 | $96,430 | $49 | +6.4% | 1,020 |
| 6 | Washington | $102,370 | $96,640 | $49 | +6.2% | 1,510 |
| 7 | Alabama | $101,420 | $99,490 | $49 | +5.2% | 870 |
| 8 | Alaska | $100,640 | $94,740 | $48 | +4.4% | 220 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $100,310 | $96,250 | $48 | +4.1% | 840 |
| 10 | Colorado | $99,890 | $97,100 | $48 | +3.7% | 1,290 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $98,440 | $95,440 | $47 | +2.1% | 970 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $97,340 | $92,260 | $47 | +1% | 1,280 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $97,120 | $92,600 | $47 | +0.8% | 80 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $96,330 | $92,790 | $46 | +0% | 90 |
| 15 | New York | $95,920 | $88,540 | $46 | -0.5% | 2,760 |
| 16 | Oregon | $95,030 | $95,250 | $46 | -1.4% | 1,090 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $94,810 | $85,970 | $46 | -1.6% | 450 |
| 18 | Illinois | $94,430 | $94,880 | $45 | -2% | 750 |
| 19 | Ohio | $94,430 | $89,840 | $45 | -2% | 800 |
| 20 | Utah | $93,760 | $88,610 | $45 | -2.7% | 280 |
| 21 | Georgia | $93,650 | $91,870 | $45 | -2.8% | 1,900 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $92,220 | $86,570 | $44 | -4.3% | 1,140 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $92,200 | $92,380 | $44 | -4.3% | 210 |
| 24 | Iowa | $91,730 | $86,550 | $44 | -4.8% | 390 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $91,530 | $87,360 | $44 | -5% | 740 |
| 26 | Vermont | $91,410 | $93,430 | $44 | -5.1% | 90 |
| 27 | South Carolina | $90,850 | $86,260 | $44 | -5.7% | 470 |
| 28 | Delaware | $89,320 | $82,000 | $43 | -7.3% | 260 |
| 29 | Maine | $89,300 | $88,130 | $43 | -7.3% | 200 |
| 30 | Texas | $89,220 | $82,970 | $43 | -7.4% | 3,340 |
| 31 | Missouri | $89,000 | $81,980 | $43 | -7.6% | 520 |
| 32 | Idaho | $88,950 | $83,220 | $43 | -7.7% | 190 |
| 33 | Florida | $88,620 | $84,170 | $43 | -8% | 3,150 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $88,380 | $84,240 | $42 | -8.3% | 1,490 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $88,120 | $83,010 | $42 | -8.6% | 200 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $87,630 | $82,350 | $42 | -9.1% | 1,830 |
| 37 | Arizona | $87,470 | $84,810 | $42 | -9.2% | 730 |
| 38 | Nevada | $87,310 | $81,600 | $42 | -9.4% | 440 |
| 39 | Kansas | $85,820 | $80,140 | $41 | -10.9% | 270 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $84,860 | $80,990 | $41 | -11.9% | 670 |
| 41 | West Virginia | $84,740 | $78,850 | $41 | -12.1% | 180 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $84,680 | $80,530 | $41 | -12.1% | 330 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $83,900 | $82,180 | $40 | -12.9% | 820 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $83,020 | $81,100 | $40 | -13.9% | 80 |
| 45 | Indiana | $81,890 | $82,080 | $39 | -15% | 390 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $81,890 | $79,180 | $39 | -15% | 120 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $81,510 | $76,860 | $39 | -15.4% | 630 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $79,420 | $77,400 | $38 | -17.6% | 150 |
| 49 | Montana | $78,760 | $79,700 | $38 | -18.3% | 360 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $77,220 | $78,850 | $37 | -19.9% | 390 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $73,710 | $71,800 | $35 | -23.5% | 320 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 196 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa City, IA | $134,850 | $122,820 | 40 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $131,730 | $130,420 | 340 |
| 3 | Ann Arbor, MI | $127,860 | $117,690 | 90 |
| 4 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $125,050 | $124,390 | 4,100 |
| 5 | Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $122,510 | $123,540 | 40 |
| 6 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $117,360 | $117,830 | 760 |
| 7 | Huntsville, AL | $113,400 | $113,850 | 520 |
| 8 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $110,470 | $106,460 | 80 |
| 9 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $107,010 | $111,120 | 290 |
| 10 | Gainesville, GA | $106,610 | $99,020 | 50 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing budget analystss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) | $147,070 | $130,530 | 60 |
| 2 | Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles | $135,450 | $116,420 | — |
| 3 | Hospitals, Local Government Owned | $134,870 | $122,260 | 300 |
| 4 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Local Government Owned | $134,870 | $122,430 | 300 |
| 5 | Natural Gas Distribution | $127,670 | $115,210 | 30 |
| 6 | Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | $123,480 | $118,920 | 120 |
| 7 | Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | $123,480 | $118,920 | 120 |
| 8 | Nuclear Electric Power Generation | $122,360 | $123,700 | 40 |
| 9 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | $116,690 | $115,050 | 60 |
| 10 | Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers | $111,990 | $111,290 | 70 |
| 11 | Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers | $111,990 | $111,290 | 70 |
| 12 | Postal Service (Federal Government) | $111,590 | $112,790 | 150 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do budget analysts make in the U.S.?
The median budget analysts salary in the United States is $91,640 per year (mean $96,370), and about 80% earn between $62,250 and $136,660.
How much do budget analysts make per hour?
Roughly $46 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $96,370 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays budget analysts the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for budget analysts at $124,680 per year (median $124,590).
What is the job outlook for budget analysts?
Employment is projected to change +1% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 3,100 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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