What does a senior budget analyst do?

Updated January 8, 2025

8 min read

Quoted expert

Brian Meehan

A senior budget analyst analyzes the finances of their company. They monitor their company's financial data to gain new insights to make a profit. They create budgets for departments, increase the efficiency of company systems, and prepare reports and financial statements.

On this page

Senior budget analyst responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real senior budget analyst resumes:

Manage regional incentive budgets including A/P, A/R, and document control for all on-site programs.
Manage and implement process improvement projects for payroll and other administrative services.
Prepare Medicaid and Medicare cost reports.
Upload DTS funds into GFEBS to ensure execution of allot funds.
Work extensively pushing and pulling funds in the GFEBS accounting systems.
Research, compile, and summarize data concerning propose POM budget submission to DoD.
Design and test Hyperion calculation scripts as well as report scripts and rules files.
Review funding requests from all internal departments and prepare request packages to OMB for approval.
Interpret scope and direction of past legislative actions and current trends, along with OMB decisions and policies.
Interview, recommend for placement, and train incoming staff on logistics and financial processes supporting the branch chief POC.
Develop presentation materials and supporting graphics using PowerPoint.
Review data upload onto Hyperion system for analysis, budgeting and management reporting functions.
Ensure accurate computation of pay, interpreting company policies and government regulations affecting payroll procedures.
Review commitments, obligations and expenditures and reconcile monthly reports on transactions process in DoD accounting systems.
Supervise unit logistics team by planning logistics functions and allocating manpower to fulfill logistics requirements of the organization.

Senior budget analyst skills and personality traits

We calculated that 8% of Senior Budget Analysts are proficient in Financial Management, PowerPoint, and Financial Analysis. They’re also known for soft skills such as Writing skills, Analytical skills, and Communication skills.

We break down the percentage of Senior Budget Analysts that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Financial Management, 8%
Trusted with delegated authority to work autonomously to perform functions IAW fiscal/appropriations law, financial management regulations, and standard policies.
PowerPoint, 7%
Developed presentation materials and supporting graphics using PowerPoint.
Financial Analysis, 6%
Researched and provided financial analysis on issues with financial implications; interpreted, recommended and developed policies and procedures.
Budget Analysis, 6%
Provide budget analysis of anticipated revenues and costs, identifying funding requirements for the supported divisions.
Financial Data, 5%
Facilitated a project development working group to draft the operating requirements to study the alternatives to program and financial data management.
Financial Systems, 4%
Engaged in data gathering, analysis and reporting unilaterally across client financial system to satisfy audit request.

Most senior budget analysts use their skills in "financial management," "powerpoint," and "financial analysis" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential senior budget analyst responsibilities here:

Writing skills. The most essential soft skill for a senior budget analyst to carry out their responsibilities is writing skills. This skill is important for the role because "budget analysts must present written technical information in a way that is understandable to the intended audience." Additionally, a senior budget analyst resume shows how their duties depend on writing skills: "participated in the development and defense of the programs budget estimates in writing and at hearings throughout the budget review cycle. "

Analytical skills. Another essential skill to perform senior budget analyst duties is analytical skills. Senior budget analysts responsibilities require that "budget analysts must be able to process a variety of information, evaluate costs and benefits, and solve complex problems." Senior budget analysts also use analytical skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "analyzed budget proposals, financial reports and expenditures as well as develop recommendations for budget allowances. "

Communication skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of senior budget analysts is communication skills. This skill is critical to many everyday senior budget analyst duties, as "budget analysts must be able to explain and defend their analyses and recommendations in meetings and legislative committee hearings." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "prepared monthly accruals for four functional areas (capital, it, communications, contracts). "

Detail oriented. senior budget analyst responsibilities often require "detail oriented." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "creating an efficient budget requires careful analysis of each budget item." This resume example shows what senior budget analysts do with detail oriented on a typical day: "performed in-depth reconciliations and provided detailed analysis through financial schedules for the budget reporting/forecasting process. "

Math skills. A commonly-found skill in senior budget analyst job descriptions, "math skills" is essential to what senior budget analysts do. Senior budget analyst responsibilities rely on this skill because "budget analysts need math skills and the ability to use financial-management software and programs." You can also see how senior budget analyst duties rely on math skills in this resume example: "analyzed financial data and statistics to prepare reports and formal consolidated budget forecasts on budget execution. "

Most common senior budget analyst skills

The three companies that hire the most senior budget analysts are:

ManTech8 senior budget analysts jobs
Northrop Grumman5 senior budget analysts jobs
G & S Research5 senior budget analysts jobs

Choose from 10+ customizable senior budget analyst resume templates

Build a professional senior budget analyst resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior budget analyst resume.

Compare different senior budget analysts

Senior budget analyst vs. Budget officer

We looked at the average senior budget analyst salary and compared it with the wages of a budget officer. Generally speaking, budget officers are paid $9,469 lower than senior budget analysts per year.Even though senior budget analysts and budget officers are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require financial management, financial analysis, and financial data in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between senior budget analysts and budget officer. For instance, senior budget analyst responsibilities require skills such as "powerpoint," "budget analysis," "budget analysts," and "management system." Whereas a budget officer is skilled in "oversight," "budget process," "personnel actions," and "payroll." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Budget officers tend to make the most money working in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $62,907. In contrast, senior budget analysts make the biggest average salary, $72,895, in the government industry.budget officers tend to reach similar levels of education than senior budget analysts. In fact, budget officers are 2.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Senior budget analyst vs. Budget examiner

A career as a budget examiner brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a senior budget analyst. In fact, budget examiners salary is $13,960 lower than the salary of senior budget analysts per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both senior budget analysts and budget examiners have skills such as "budget preparation," "budget estimates," and "capital budgets. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, senior budget analyst responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "financial management," "powerpoint," "financial analysis," and "budget analysis." Meanwhile, a budget examiner has duties that require skills in areas such as "budget recommendations," "budget proposals," "account transactions," and "medicaid." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Average education levels between the two professions vary. Budget examiners tend to reach similar levels of education than senior budget analysts. In fact, they're 0.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for senior budget analysts in the next 3-5 years?

Brian Meehan

Assistant Professor of Economics, Campbell School of Business, Berry College

If I knew what technologies were going to arise in the next 3-5 years and play an essential part in any industry, I would invest in the companies/individuals producing those technologies. The best way to separate insight from the empty talk is to see if people have skin in the game when they make projections or give investing advice. Skin in the game generates more accountability and insight. So, my empty talk answer is tedious -- I think graduates should become equipped to deal with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangout, and technologies like those, where remote communication and collaboration can occur.

Senior budget analyst vs. Budget engineer

On average scale, budget engineers bring in higher salaries than senior budget analysts. In fact, they earn a $9,969 higher salary per year.By looking over several senior budget analysts and budget engineers resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "management system," "work breakdown structure," and "financial reports." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, senior budget analysts are more likely to have skills like "financial management," "powerpoint," "financial analysis," and "budget analysis." But a budget engineer is more likely to have skills like "project scheduling," "production budgets," "operation plan," and "pmt."

When it comes to education, budget engineers tend to earn lower degree levels compared to senior budget analysts. In fact, they're 22.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Senior budget analyst vs. Budget counselor

Budget counselors average a lower salary than the annual salary of senior budget analysts. The difference is about $8,015 per year.According to resumes from senior budget analysts and budget counselors, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "financial management," "dod," and "program budget. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A senior budget analyst uses "powerpoint," "financial analysis," "budget analysis," and "financial data." Budget counselors are more likely to have duties that require skills in "hs," "program monitoring," "client intake," and "ged. "budget counselors reach similar levels of education compared to senior budget analysts, in general. The difference is that they're 4.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 4.8% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs