According to a 2002 survey conducted by Robert Half International—a staffing services firm specializing in accounting and finance—starting salaries of financial, budget, treasury, and cost analysts in small companies ranged from $29,750 to $36,250. In large companies, starting salaries ranged from $33,500 to $41,250.

In the Federal Government, budget analysts usually started as trainees earning $23,442 or $29,037 a year in 2003. Candidates with a master's degree might begin at $35,519. Beginning salaries were slightly higher in selected areas where the prevailing local pay level was higher. The average annual salary in 2003 for budget analysts employed by the Federal Government in nonsupervisory, supervisory, and managerial positions was $62,400.