Competition for budget analyst jobs is expected over the
2002-12 projection period. Candidates with a master’s degree should
have the best job opportunities. Familiarity with computer financial
software packages also should enhance a jobseeker’s employment
prospects.
Employment of budget analysts is expected to grow about as fast as the average
for all occupations through 2012. Employment growth will be driven by
the continuing demand for sound financial analysis in both public and
private sector organizations. In addition to employment growth, many
job openings will result from the need to replace experienced budget
analysts who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force.
The expanding use of computer applications in budget analysis increases
worker productivity by enabling analysts to process more data in less
time. However, because budget analysts now have much more data
available to them, their jobs are becoming more complicated. In
addition, as businesses and other organizations become more complex and
specialized, budget planning and financial control will demand greater
attention. These factors should offset any adverse effects of computer
applications on employment of budget analysts.
In coming years, all types of organizations will continue to rely heavily on budget
analysts to examine, analyze, and develop budgets. Because of the
importance of financial analysis performed by budget analysts,
employment of these workers has remained relatively unaffected by
downsizing in the Nation’s workplaces. In addition, because financial
and budget reports must be completed during both periods of economic
growth and slowdowns, budget analysts usually are less subject to
layoffs than are many other workers during economic downturns.
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