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What is a program finance analyst and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Nate Peach Ph.D.

A program finance analyst manages and analyzes the financial aspects of various programs or projects within a company. They are responsible for creating financial reports, forecasting budgets, and providing recommendations for cost savings or revenue generation. They also monitor cash flow, identify financial risks, and propose solutions to mitigate them. Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate complex financial information to non-financial stakeholders are essential for success in this role.

What general advice would you give to a program finance analyst?

Nate Peach Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Economics, George Fox University

Try to stay optimistic. You've invested your time, energy, and money on a precious degree. The pandemic has not changed the value of the skills you've acquired. What it has done is to make it challenging to find a job for the moment. Things are weird right now. Many companies are redesigning their hiring practices, which is bound to cause challenges for job seekers. The skills that you developed as an economist are precious to employers, be diligent in your job search, and you will be rewarded with a great career.
ScoreProgram Finance AnalystUS Average
Salary
4.5

Avg. Salary $57,254

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.8

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.10%

Asian 14.09%

Black or African American 5.64%

Hispanic or Latino 7.67%

Unknown 4.50%

White 68.00%

Gender

female 46.54%

male 53.46%

Age - 38
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38
Stress level
5.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.6

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.3

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a program finance analyst?

Pros

  • Good salary and benefits

  • Ability to develop financial analysis skills

  • Work with cross-functional teams

  • Opportunity to work with senior management and executives

  • Gain insights into business operations and decision-making

Cons

  • High pressure and long hours during critical periods

  • Can be stressful when dealing with large amounts of financial data

  • Often requires working with complex financial systems and tools

  • Can be challenging to communicate financial information to non-financial stakeholders

  • May require significant travel or relocation for certain roles

Program finance analyst career paths

Key steps to become a program finance analyst

  1. Explore program finance analyst education requirements

    Most common program finance analyst degrees

    Bachelor's

    77.5 %

    Master's

    14.3 %

    Associate

    6.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific program finance analyst skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Financial Analysis12.87%
    Variance Analysis5.46%
    Program Management4.60%
    Financial Data4.46%
    Earned Value Management3.31%
  3. Complete relevant program finance analyst training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New program finance analysts learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a program finance analyst based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real program finance analyst resumes.
  4. Research program finance analyst duties and responsibilities

    • Develop, maintain financial models/applications (VBA Excel/Access) to automate and streamline business processes and perform financial analysis.
    • Prepare monthly accounts payable accruals as well as researching and analyzing account variances.
    • Provide monthly and quarterly accruals of channel programs and MDF to revenue accounting team.
    • Ensure accurate forecasting in using Hyperion.
  5. Prepare your program finance analyst resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your program finance analyst resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a program finance analyst resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable program finance analyst resume templates

    Build a professional program finance analyst resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your program finance analyst resume.
    Program Finance Analyst Resume
    Program Finance Analyst Resume
    Program Finance Analyst Resume
    Program Finance Analyst Resume
    Program Finance Analyst Resume
    Program Finance Analyst Resume
    Program Finance Analyst Resume
    Program Finance Analyst Resume
    Program Finance Analyst Resume
  6. Apply for program finance analyst jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a program finance analyst job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first program finance analyst job

Zippi

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Average program finance analyst salary

The average program finance analyst salary in the United States is $57,254 per year or $28 per hour. Program finance analyst salaries range between $42,000 and $76,000 per year.

Average program finance analyst salary
$57,254 Yearly
$27.53 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do program finance analysts rate their job?

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Program finance analyst reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2023
Pros

Enjoy analyzing the projects. I like tracking and knowing how we are doing on the projects.

Cons

The PMs not understanding the benefit of a program control analyst


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019
Pros

Working with Contracts and SubContracts; creating Spend Plans, ETCs and EACs; interacting with Program Managers

Cons

I'm not good at Variance Analysis and Revenue Recognition


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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