Budget analyst vs staff accountant

The differences between budget analysts and staff 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 staff accountant. Additionally, a budget analyst has an average salary of $56,598, which is higher than the $54,216 average annual salary of a staff accountant.

The top three skills for a budget analyst include financial management, budget analysis and financial reports. The most important skills for a staff accountant are reconciliations, account reconciliations, and GAAP.

Budget analyst vs staff accountant overview

	Budget Analyst	Staff Accountant
Yearly salary	$56,598	$54,216
Hourly rate	$27.21	$26.07
Growth rate	3%	6%
Number of jobs	50,081	115,930
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
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 staff accountant do?

Staff accountants are employees who are part of the company's accounting department. They are usually certified public accountants (CPAs). Staff accountants should be familiar with accounting tasks. Previous accounting experiences play a huge advantage in their success. They perform a variety of accounting responsibilities such as information verification and analysis, financial report preparation and presentation, financial account reconciliation, billing and payment receiving activities, vendor database management, and invoice processing requirements. They should also know how to do bookkeeping. Staff accountants should have good communication skills, analytical skills, and decision-making skills. They should also be organized and trustworthy since they will be handling confidential information.

Budget analyst vs staff accountant salary

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

	Budget Analyst	Staff Accountant
Average salary	$56,598	$54,216
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $76,000	Between $42,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Virginia	New York
Best paying company	Shenzhen Capital Group	Meta
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between budget analyst and staff accountant education

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

	Budget Analyst	Staff Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Business	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Budget analyst vs staff accountant demographics

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

	Budget Analyst	Staff Accountant
Average age	47	44
Gender ratio	Male, 45.7% Female, 54.3%	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%
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, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 14.4% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	13%	7%

Differences between budget analyst and staff 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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Staff accountant example responsibilities.

Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
Contribute revenue accruals using job cost system, fix assets including reclassification, reconciliation and depreciation.
Prepare month-end journal entries and assist in compilation of financial statements, reconcile bank statements and general ledgers.
Complete audit-quality account reconciliations monthly for balance sheet accounts including the capital projects in progress accounts and miscellaneous revenue accounts.
Assume responsibility for cash management encompassing wire and ACH transfers processing, bank activity confirmation, and monthly bank account reconciliations.
Handle all A/R and A/P, payroll, change orders, collections, lien placement and release, vendor account management.

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Budget analyst vs staff accountant skills

Common budget analyst skills

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

Common staff accountant skills

Reconciliations, 15%
Account Reconciliations, 7%
GAAP, 6%
General Ledger Accounts, 4%
External Auditors, 4%
Internal Controls, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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