# Budget Analysts

US SOC code 13-2031. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/13-2031

Also called: Budgeting analyst, Budget officer, Government budget analyst, Corporate budget analyst, FP&A budget analyst.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **47,160** US budget analysts, with median pay of **$91,640** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was **62,630**, in May 2008. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/brookings-role-in-1921-budget-reform/) of **2,500** from 1930, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for budget analysts: Cloud FP&A platforms, 2018 to 2024.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 1.9% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=13-2031&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **64%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Budget Analysts employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1921
- Latest US employment: 47,160 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [6]
- Latest US median pay: $91,640 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [10]
- Outlook: +1.9% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [23]

### All 30 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1930 | 2,500 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Brookings Institution [1] |
| 1950 | 15,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Budget and Accounting Act [2] |
| 1960 | n/a | $7,200 (estimate) | Est., Estimated 1960 budget-analyst salary… [7] |
| 1970 | 45,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Planning-Programming-Budgeting System [3] |
| 1983 | n/a | $28,500 | BLS historical bulletin [8] |
| 1990 | 62,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook [4] |
| 2000 | 63,160 | $48,370 | BLS OEWS 2000 [5] |
| 2003 | 55,560 | $54,520 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [6] |
| 2004 | 53,300 | $56,040 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [6] |
| 2005 | 53,510 | $58,910 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [6] |
| 2006 | 58,100 | $61,430 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [6] |
| 2007 | 62,400 | $63,440 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [6] |
| 2008 | 62,630 | $65,320 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [6] |
| 2009 | 60,970 | $66,660 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [6] |
| 2010 | 58,290 | $68,200 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [6] |
| 2011 | 57,110 | $69,090 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [6] |
| 2012 | 58,280 | $69,280 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [6] |
| 2013 | 58,740 | $70,110 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [6] |
| 2014 | 57,120 | $71,220 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [6] |
| 2015 | 56,300 | $71,590 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [6] |
| 2016 | 54,700 | $73,840 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [6] |
| 2017 | 54,550 | $75,240 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [6] |
| 2018 | 52,810 | $76,220 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [6] |
| 2019 | 51,460 | $76,540 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [6] |
| 2020 | 49,260 | $78,970 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [6] |
| 2021 | 47,440 | $79,940 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [6] |
| 2022 | 48,430 | $82,260 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [6] |
| 2023 | 47,310 | $84,940 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [6] |
| 2024 | 47,170 | $87,930 | BLS OEWS May 2024 (employment) [6]; BLS OEWS (pay) [8] |
| 2025 | 47,160 | $91,640 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [6] |

## Sources (85)

### Employment series

1. [Brookings Institution -- "Brookings's role in the greatest reformation in governmental practices: the 1921 budget reform"](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/brookings-role-in-1921-budget-reform/), Brookings Institution
2. [Budget and Accounting Act -- Wikipedia (Bureau of the Budget founding and early growth)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budget_and_Accounting_Act), Wikipedia
3. [Planning-Programming-Budgeting System -- AcqNotes overview (1961-1971 federal expansion)](https://acqnotes.com/acqnote/acquisitions/ppbe-overview), AcqNotes / US Department of Defense
4. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook -- Budget Analysts (background and career context, current edition with historical context)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/budget-analysts.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
5. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
6. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

7. [Estimated 1960 budget-analyst salary derived from the federal General Schedule pay scale (Wikipedia: General Schedule, US civil-service pay scale)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Schedule_%28US_civil_service_pay_scale%29), Derived estimate (US Office of Personnel Management General Schedule)
8. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook 1984-85 edition -- Budget Officers and Analysts (historical wages)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/budget-analysts.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
9. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
10. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Tool eras

11. [Budget and Accounting Act -- Wikipedia (Bureau of the Budget founding, examiner function)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budget_and_Accounting_Act), Wikipedia
12. [Brookings Institution -- "Brookings's role in the 1921 budget reform" (Charles Dawes and early BoB staff)](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/brookings-role-in-1921-budget-reform/), Brookings Institution
13. [AcqNotes -- Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) Process Overview (history of PPBS 1961-1971)](https://acqnotes.com/acqnote/acquisitions/ppbe-overview), AcqNotes / US Department of Defense
14. [Robert McNamara -- Wikipedia (PPBS origins, McNamara's role, expansion to all agencies 1965)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_McNamara), Wikipedia
15. [The Spreadsheet Revolution: From VisiCalc to Excel's Global Impact (history of spreadsheets in finance)](https://www.alluringworld.com/the-spreadsheet-revolution-from-visicalc-to-excels-global-impact/), Alluring World
16. [Lotus 1-2-3 -- Wikipedia (1983 launch, IBM PC dominance, transformation of corporate finance)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_1-2-3), Wikipedia
17. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook -- Budget Analysts: technology context and work environment](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/budget-analysts.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
18. [GFOA -- Artificial Intelligence in Government Budgeting (2025): cloud platform context and AI transition](https://www.gfoa.org/materials/artificial-intelligence-in-government-budgeting), Government Finance Officers Association
19. [OpenGov -- Budgeting and Performance: AI-Powered Planning for Government](https://opengov.com/products/budgeting-and-planning/), OpenGov
20. [Workday -- Adaptive Planning AI (Illuminate): FP&A automation features (2025)](https://www.workday.com/en-us/products/adaptive-planning/overview.html), Workday
21. [Anaplan -- Integrated Financial Planning Application: AI-driven budgeting and forecasting (2025)](https://www.anaplan.com/applications/integrated-financial-planning-app/), Anaplan
22. [Datarails -- AI CFO Copilot: Automated Variance Analysis and FP&A Narratives (2025)](https://web.archive.org/web/20260421172056/https://www.datarails.com/ai-fpa-software-2/), Datarails

### Forecasts and exposure studies

23. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 13-2031 Budget analysts (2025: 50.4 thousand; 2035: 51.3 thousand; +1.9%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=13-2031&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
24. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 13-2031.00, human-rated β 0.64)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

25. [Budget and Accounting Act -- Wikipedia (founding, Charles Dawes, first unified budget)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budget_and_Accounting_Act), Wikipedia
26. [AcqNotes -- PPBE Process Overview (1965 Johnson expansion of PPBS across all agencies)](https://acqnotes.com/acqnote/acquisitions/ppbe-overview), AcqNotes / US Department of Defense
27. [VisiCalc: Revolutionary Impact in Personal Computing (history and significance)](https://tomorrowdesk.com/info/visicalc), Tomorrow Desk
28. [Congressional Budget Office -- History (CBO role in enforcing Budget Enforcement Act)](https://www.cbo.gov/about/history), Congressional Budget Office
29. [Library of Congress Research Guides -- Federal Budget: Understanding the Past (historical budget legislation reference)](https://guides.loc.gov/federal-budget/past-understanding), Library of Congress
30. [Microsoft -- Finance agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot, now generally available (October 2025)](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-365/blog/it-professional/2025/10/20/empowering-finance-with-an-ai-assistant-in-microsoft-365-copilot/), Microsoft

### Predecessors & successors

31. [Budget and Accounting Act -- Wikipedia (Bureau of the Budget founding, examiner role)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budget_and_Accounting_Act), Wikipedia

### Present-day analysis

- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-24
- [O\*NET 30.3 — Budget Analysts (13-2031.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-2031.00), accessed 2026-05-24
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Budget Analysts (2024-2034)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/budget-analysts.htm), accessed 2026-05-24
- [McKinsey — The State of AI in Finance: FP&A automation (2025)](https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/tech-and-ai/our-insights/the-state-of-ai), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Gartner — Finance AI Disruption: FP&A roles most at risk (2025)](https://www.gartner.com/en/finance/topics/ai-in-finance), accessed 2026-05-24
- [GFOA — Artificial Intelligence in Government Budgeting (2025)](https://www.gfoa.org/materials/artificial-intelligence-in-government-budgeting), accessed 2026-05-24
- [LinkedIn Skills on the Rise 2026 — AI skills carry wage premium in finance](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/24/the-fastest-growing-skills-in-the-us-according-to-linkedin-theyre-career-currency.html), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Datarails — AI CFO Copilot: Automated Variance Analysis and FP&A Narratives (2025)](https://web.archive.org/web/20260421172056/https://www.datarails.com/ai-fpa-software-2/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Planful — AI-Powered FP&A: Predict and Signals (2025)](https://planful.com/ai/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Workday — Adaptive Planning AI: Illuminate Features for FP&A (2025)](https://www.workday.com/en-us/products/adaptive-planning/overview.html), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Anaplan — AI-Driven Strategic Planning Platform (2025)](https://www.anaplan.com/platform/), accessed 2026-05-24

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.