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The differences between budget analysts and tax 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 tax accountant. Additionally, a tax accountant has an average salary of $62,142, which is higher than the $56,598 average annual salary of a budget analyst.
The top three skills for a budget analyst include financial management, budget analysis and financial reports. The most important skills for a tax accountant are CPA, tax audits, and income tax returns.
| Budget Analyst | Tax Accountant | |
| Yearly salary | $56,598 | $62,142 |
| Hourly rate | $27.21 | $29.88 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 50,081 | 57,919 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A tax accountant is an individual who works with clients to produce tax return documents that follow tax laws and regulations while keeping them updated on their return information. Tax accountants must determine tax strategies for their clients that may minimize or eliminate tax payments while arranging audits with taxation authorities. They prepare tax documents for different clients, including private companies, non-profit organizations, and private individuals. Tax accountants are also required to obtain a bachelor's degree in accounting and should understand business concepts.
Budget analysts and tax accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Budget Analyst | Tax Accountant | |
| Average salary | $56,598 | $62,142 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $76,000 | Between $45,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | New York |
| Best paying company | Shenzhen Capital Group | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a budget analyst and a tax accountant in terms of educational background:
| Budget Analyst | Tax Accountant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between budget analysts' and tax accountants' demographics:
| Budget Analyst | Tax Accountant | |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.7% Female, 54.3% | Male, 47.3% Female, 52.7% |
| 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, 8.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.5% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 7% |