Budget analyst vs general accountant

The differences between budget analysts and general accountants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a budget analyst and a general accountant. Additionally, a budget analyst has an average salary of $56,598, which is higher than the $55,043 average annual salary of a general accountant.

The top three skills for a budget analyst include financial management, budget analysis and financial reports. The most important skills for a general accountant are financial data, reconciliations, and cash handling.

Budget analyst vs general accountant overview

	Budget Analyst	General Accountant
Yearly salary	$56,598	$55,043
Hourly rate	$27.21	$26.46
Growth rate	3%	6%
Number of jobs	50,081	87,663
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age	47	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a budget analyst do?

A budget analyst supports organizations and businesses by organizing their financial resources to develop and execute budgets for them. A budget analyst is also responsible for evaluating budget proposals, analyzing data, extra funds redistribution, recommending spending cuts, preparing reports annually, and estimating spending requirements in the future. A budget analyst explores alternative funding methods and uses cost-benefit analyses. In addition, budget analysts also look at past budgets and research any financial developments that could affect income and expenditures.

What does a general accountant do?

A general accountant is responsible for evaluating account statements, conducting data analysis with financial transactions, and generating reports on revenues, expenses, and sales forecasting. These accountants manage discrepancies on the company and clients' profiles, including bank reconciliations and processing of account receivables and payables. They also handle the release of invoices and petty cash, analyzing balance sheets, and updating accurate financial information on the database. A general accountant must have excellent analytical skills, as well as extensive knowledge of the accounting principles and disciplines.

Budget analyst vs general accountant salary

Budget analysts and general accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Budget Analyst	General Accountant
Average salary	$56,598	$55,043
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $76,000	Between $40,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Virginia	New Jersey
Best paying company	Shenzhen Capital Group	Apple
Best paying industry	Government	Automotive

Differences between budget analyst and general accountant education

There are a few differences between a budget analyst and a general accountant in terms of educational background:

	Budget Analyst	General Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common major	Business	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Budget analyst vs general accountant demographics

Here are the differences between budget analysts' and general accountants' demographics:

	Budget Analyst	General Accountant
Average age	47	44
Gender ratio	Male, 45.7% Female, 54.3%	Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 8.9% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 13.7% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	13%	7%

Differences between budget analyst and general accountant duties and responsibilities

Budget analyst example responsibilities.

Write and document SAS, SPSS and SQL programs to automate standard processes.
Manage accounting data of expenditures in ledgers; ensure all transactions are re-serve for obligation.
Manage virtual war room database and prepare advanced PowerPoint presentations for high-level briefings.
Manage credit card revenue reporting and reconciliations for multiple credit card merchant accounts which include recommending and implementing process improvements.
Provide corporate financial support services for multiple contracts and various contract types (FFP, CPFF, CPAF, etc . )
Prepare and present EAC projections, customer financial reports, and documents for program reviews.

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General accountant example responsibilities.

Manage payroll functions, financial statements, accounts payable, basic job cost, account analysis, accruals, year-end audits.
Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
Assist manager with cash flow, preparing financial statement, BBC, and report to CPA.
Create budget at beginning and coordinate CPA firm's audit at the end of year.
Assist in any kind of audit engagement (internal control, external, SOX, etc . )
Provide support for the controller with period-end close accruals and journal entries and assist in various duties and responsibilities.

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Budget analyst vs general accountant skills

Common budget analyst skills

Financial Management, 8%
Budget Analysis, 6%
Financial Reports, 5%
Financial Data, 4%
PowerPoint, 4%
Budget Estimates, 3%

Common general accountant skills

Financial Data, 11%
Reconciliations, 10%
Cash Handling, 9%
Vendor Invoices, 6%
General Ledger Accounts, 6%
Account Reconciliations, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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