Budget and Policy Analysts

Median Salary: $66,700

Many budget and policy analysts across the country share a handful of key professional attributes. For example, analytical thinking, cooperation, and initiative can be vital for success in the industry, especially when blended with career training. Around 60,970 people were employed as budget and policy analysts nationwide in 2009. With that much workplace competition, it's essential to build on these traits and receive solid training, particularly if you're preparing to move forward in the field.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual income for budget and policy analysts in the U.S. was $66,700 in 2009, which works out to a median hourly wage of $32.10. Of course, income can vary with training and by location. Below, you'll find more data about budget and policy analysts, including wages and job density for areas all over the country.

Budget and policy analysts should be skilled in:

Oral Expression
Deductive Reasoning
Information Ordering
Inductive Reasoning
Selective Attention

Different people go into different careers; budget and policy analysts are typically:

Conventional
Enterprising
Investigative

Working as a budget or policy analyst requires knowledge in subjects like:

Economics and Accounting
Mathematics
Clerical
Customer and Personal Service
Law and Government

Related Occupations

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Below, you'll see links to more information on the top cities for this occupation (based on the number of people employed as budget and policy analysts). Note: "Job density" refers to the proportion of budget and policy analysts in each city as compared to the national average.

Alabama
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Birmingham	110	$52,800	$25.40	$68,400	$32.90	-52.2%
Huntsville	470	$72,500	$34.80	$88,600	$42.60	394.4%
Mobile	40	$60,000	$28.90	$65,800	$31.60	-55.9%
Montgomery	90	$61,600	$29.60	$74,400	$35.80	24.2%

Alaska
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Anchorage	130	$69,100	$33.20	$78,900	$37.90	67.2%
Fairbanks	80	$59,600	$28.60	$68,600	$33.00	387.2%

Arizona
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Phoenix	570	$63,500	$30.50	$76,500	$36.80	-30.8%
Tucson	160	$60,200	$28.90	$70,400	$33.90	-6%

Arkansas
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Fayetteville	30	$66,500	$32.00	$82,800	$39.80	-67%
Little Rock	280	$55,800	$26.80	$70,400	$33.90	81.2%

California
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Bakersfield	140	$70,300	$33.80	$83,500	$40.10	12.2%
Chico	30	$63,300	$30.40	$77,900	$37.50	-4.1%
El Centro	NA	$52,900	$25.40	$68,500	$32.90	NA
Fresno	210	$49,800	$23.90	$71,700	$34.50	39.6%
Los Angeles (Area)	4,020	$76,800	$36.90	$93,400	$44.90	50.1%
Modesto	90	$73,100	$35.20	$91,800	$44.10	17.1%
Oakland	840	$84,200	$40.50	$102,400	$49.20	80.5%
Oxnard	230	$60,100	$28.90	$83,800	$40.30	65.3%
Riverside	840	$60,400	$29.10	$77,000	$37.00	49.3%
Sacramento	880	$67,200	$32.30	$79,500	$38.20	120.8%
Salinas	50	$71,000	$34.10	$85,100	$40.90	-26.8%
San Diego	1,090	$73,000	$35.10	$85,100	$40.90	83.1%
San Francisco (Area)	1,800	$85,100	$40.90	$103,200	$49.60	95.1%
San Francisco (City)	960	$85,900	$41.30	$103,900	$50.00	109.9%
San Jose	1,430	$90,400	$43.50	$108,500	$52.20	245%
Santa Barbara	140	$70,400	$33.80	$84,900	$40.80	80.1%
Santa Cruz	NA	$65,600	$31.60	$86,700	$41.70	NA
Santa Rosa	70	$79,100	$38.00	$89,900	$43.20	-11.6%
Stockton	60	$66,000	$31.80	$85,300	$41.00	-41.8%
Vallejo	40	$73,900	$35.60	$90,300	$43.40	-24.8%
Visalia	60	$52,800	$25.40	$69,600	$33.50	-5.8%
Yuba City	30	$62,500	$30.00	$70,200	$33.80	73.9%

Colorado
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Boulder	50	$71,100	$34.20	$90,200	$43.30	-30.6%
Colorado Springs	200	$63,900	$30.70	$76,400	$36.70	74.3%
Denver	900	$66,700	$32.10	$83,000	$39.90	57.8%
Fort Collins	40	$74,900	$36.00	$79,700	$38.30	-25.5%

Connecticut
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Bridgeport	170	$67,500	$32.50	$86,500	$41.60	-15.4%
Hartford	730	$72,900	$35.00	$85,600	$41.10	176.7%
New Haven	120	$74,300	$35.70	$84,500	$40.60	-5.1%
Norwich	50	$61,500	$29.60	$73,100	$35.10	-21.6%

Delaware
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Dover	50	$53,000	$25.50	$59,600	$28.70	92.1%

District of Columbia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Washington (Area)	5,120	$83,500	$40.10	$100,200	$48.20	227.6%

Florida
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Bradenton	70	$57,100	$27.50	$67,500	$32.40	-40%
Cape Coral	30	$57,000	$27.40	$65,700	$31.60	-67%
Deltona	40	$53,700	$25.80	$65,500	$31.50	-41.5%
Fort Walton Beach	170	$63,900	$30.70	$74,400	$35.80	377.1%
Gainesville	130	$47,000	$22.60	$58,000	$27.90	121.4%
Jacksonville	190	$56,400	$27.10	$71,600	$34.40	-28.7%
Lakeland	40	$59,300	$28.50	$66,700	$32.10	-58%
Miami (Area)	870	$61,500	$29.60	$77,900	$37.40	-16.9%
Orlando	240	$58,300	$28.10	$75,700	$36.40	-49%
Palm Bay	160	$59,800	$28.80	$69,600	$33.50	73%
Pensacola	30	$55,800	$26.80	$71,300	$34.30	-51.2%
Tallahassee	200	$46,700	$22.50	$60,300	$29.00	160.4%
Tampa	490	$61,600	$29.60	$76,400	$36.70	-7.1%

Georgia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Atlanta	930	$68,900	$33.10	$86,800	$41.80	-13.3%
Augusta	90	$63,900	$30.70	$78,900	$37.90	-9.4%
Columbus	90	$59,100	$28.40	$70,300	$33.80	67.7%
Macon	30	$50,300	$24.20	$63,000	$30.30	-27.6%
Savannah	60	$56,300	$27.10	$66,300	$31.90	-16.5%
Warner Robins	50	$74,400	$35.80	$83,400	$40.10	95.3%

Hawaii
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Honolulu	350	$66,100	$31.80	$77,200	$37.10	71.9%

Idaho
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Boise City	90	$58,300	$28.00	$70,400	$33.90	-26.6%

Illinois
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Chicago (Area)	1,170	$66,600	$32.00	$80,700	$38.80	-38.3%
Springfield	60	$52,200	$25.10	$67,600	$32.50	16.9%

Indiana
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Evansville	40	$64,600	$31.10	$81,500	$39.20	-43.5%
Fort Wayne	60	$66,800	$32.10	$79,300	$38.10	-34.3%
Indianapolis	340	$63,200	$30.40	$76,900	$37.00	-15.8%
Lafayette	40	$61,500	$29.60	$71,000	$34.10	9.2%

Iowa
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Davenport	100	$71,100	$34.20	$85,700	$41.20	11.3%
Des Moines	130	$66,900	$32.20	$78,200	$37.60	-14.8%

Kansas
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Topeka	40	$64,600	$31.00	$78,900	$37.90	-19.3%
Wichita	NA	$63,800	$30.70	$75,000	$36.00	NA

Kentucky
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Lexington	70	$62,700	$30.20	$76,700	$36.90	-34.3%
Louisville	270	$54,400	$26.10	$65,700	$31.60	-4.1%

Louisiana
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Alexandria	30	$46,400	$22.30	$62,200	$29.90	9.4%
Baton Rouge	190	$51,200	$24.60	$77,100	$37.10	11.1%
New Orleans	140	$54,500	$26.20	$68,300	$32.80	-40.5%
Shreveport	50	$54,400	$26.20	$65,800	$31.60	-40.7%

Maine
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Portland	30	$64,100	$30.80	$74,000	$35.60	-63.4%

Maryland
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Baltimore	1,110	$64,700	$31.10	$82,800	$39.80	88.2%

Massachusetts
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Boston (Area)	1,030	$70,300	$33.80	$88,900	$42.70	10.9%
Springfield	80	$67,300	$32.30	$78,800	$37.90	-42.6%
Worcester	80	$61,200	$29.40	$79,100	$38.00	-31.7%

Michigan
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Ann Arbor	80	$60,200	$29.00	$69,200	$33.30	-11.1%
Detroit (Area)	760	NA	NA	NA	NA	2.6%
Grand Rapids	60	$52,800	$25.40	$67,400	$32.40	-63.2%
Lansing	730	$65,900	$31.70	$70,600	$33.90	678.2%

Minnesota
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Minneapolis	210	$67,900	$32.70	$79,900	$38.40	-74.5%

Mississippi
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Gulfport	60	$56,700	$27.30	$71,500	$34.40	34.3%
Jackson	90	$47,100	$22.70	$63,900	$30.70	-19.3%

Missouri
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Jefferson City	70	$48,100	$23.10	$56,200	$27.00	74.3%
Kansas City	630	$59,800	$28.80	$73,300	$35.30	36.2%
Springfield	30	$55,200	$26.60	$61,900	$29.80	-63%
St. Louis	990	$65,800	$31.60	$81,100	$39.00	62.7%

Montana
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Billings	30	$60,200	$28.90	$71,500	$34.40	-12%

Nebraska
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Lincoln	80	$50,900	$24.50	$62,100	$29.80	1.7%
Omaha	150	$59,600	$28.60	$75,400	$36.30	-29.3%

Nevada
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Las Vegas	190	$68,400	$32.90	$83,900	$40.30	-52%
Reno	90	$69,800	$33.60	$81,100	$39.00	-5.1%

New Jersey
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Trenton	190	$72,600	$34.90	$87,100	$41.90	89.1%

New Mexico
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Albuquerque	350	$63,600	$30.60	$74,400	$35.80	94.2%
Santa Fe	100	$78,900	$37.90	$89,500	$43.10	241.5%

New York
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Albany	550	$59,800	$28.80	$73,800	$35.50	171.7%
Buffalo	80	$61,600	$29.60	$72,600	$34.90	-67.2%
New York (Area)	1,980	$69,500	$33.40	$85,300	$41.00	-43.5%
Poughkeepsie	100	$67,000	$32.20	$80,300	$38.60	-14.3%
Rochester	70	$57,100	$27.50	$68,600	$33.00	-70.9%
Syracuse	60	$57,100	$27.40	$70,200	$33.70	-55.2%

North Carolina
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Asheville	50	$50,500	$24.30	$61,400	$29.50	-42.2%
Charlotte	260	$70,400	$33.90	$82,800	$39.80	-34.7%
Durham	60	$64,700	$31.10	$82,000	$39.40	-52.5%
Fayetteville	200	$65,900	$31.70	$74,300	$35.70	247.1%
Greensboro	40	$67,900	$32.70	$77,000	$37.00	-74.9%
Raleigh	140	$69,400	$33.40	$82,900	$39.90	-40.3%
Wilmington	60	$46,900	$22.60	$56,900	$27.40	-2.4%

Ohio
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Akron	50	$58,700	$28.20	$75,800	$36.40	-68.3%
Cincinnati	190	$69,900	$33.60	$83,600	$40.20	-59.3%
Cleveland	260	$68,200	$32.80	$86,000	$41.30	-44.8%
Dayton	240	$75,700	$36.40	$89,500	$43.00	40.5%
Toledo	50	$55,400	$26.60	$61,000	$29.30	-66.4%

Oklahoma
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Lawton	70	$58,300	$28.00	$69,900	$33.60	282.2%
Oklahoma City	360	$56,400	$27.10	$69,900	$33.60	35.3%
Tulsa	110	$49,200	$23.70	$67,700	$32.60	-46.7%

Oregon
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Eugene	40	$61,500	$29.60	$73,200	$35.20	-36.6%
Portland	330	$65,200	$31.40	$77,100	$37.10	-29.1%
Salem	210	$58,800	$28.30	$68,800	$33.10	208.1%

Pennsylvania
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Allentown	110	$61,400	$29.50	$81,800	$39.30	-31%
Erie	30	$35,200	$16.90	$53,000	$25.50	-47.1%
Harrisburg	310	$60,900	$29.30	$75,300	$36.20	116.5%
Philadelphia (Area)	970	$66,400	$31.90	$78,700	$37.80	-34.9%
Pittsburgh	320	$61,900	$29.80	$76,800	$36.90	-39.2%
Scranton	50	$57,000	$27.40	$72,100	$34.70	-57%
York	NA	$78,000	$37.50	$87,500	$42.10	NA

Rhode Island
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Providence	210	$71,700	$34.50	$85,700	$41.20	-16.7%

South Carolina
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Charleston	130	$56,400	$27.10	$66,300	$31.90	-1.9%
Columbia	120	$60,100	$28.90	$70,300	$33.80	-22.7%
Greenville	90	$59,900	$28.80	$69,200	$33.30	-35.8%

South Dakota
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Sioux Falls	30	$53,100	$25.50	$61,400	$29.50	-49.7%

Tennessee
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Chattanooga	50	$54,100	$26.00	$81,600	$39.30	-48.2%
Knoxville	110	$66,000	$31.80	$82,600	$39.70	-29.3%
Memphis	120	$54,400	$26.20	$71,600	$34.40	-55.9%
Nashville	260	$60,900	$29.30	$73,600	$35.40	-21.6%

Texas
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Amarillo	80	$73,200	$35.20	$87,000	$41.80	61.2%
Austin	570	$55,400	$26.60	$65,800	$31.60	57.8%
Beaumont	60	$55,200	$26.50	$64,700	$31.10	-13.3%
College Station	30	$53,700	$25.80	$68,000	$32.70	-28.5%
Dallas (Area)	1,130	$65,400	$31.40	$79,800	$38.40	-16.9%
El Paso	140	$60,200	$28.90	$71,500	$34.40	8.1%
Houston	1,020	$71,700	$34.50	$93,500	$45.00	-14.6%
Killeen	100	$58,300	$28.00	$71,200	$34.20	72.4%
Lubbock	80	$44,400	$21.30	$51,400	$24.70	45.2%
San Antonio	550	$62,100	$29.80	$76,900	$37.00	40.3%
Waco	30	$62,300	$30.00	$84,600	$40.70	-28.3%
Wichita Falls	40	$60,600	$29.20	$69,800	$33.60	40.3%

Utah
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Ogden	180	$69,900	$33.60	$78,900	$37.90	95.5%
Provo	70	$59,800	$28.70	$66,200	$31.90	-10.3%
Salt Lake City	250	$64,200	$30.90	$76,200	$36.60	-13.3%

Virginia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Charlottesville	60	$62,900	$30.20	$71,800	$34.50	39.8%
Harrisonburg	NA	$65,100	$31.30	$78,900	$37.90	NA
Richmond	310	$63,300	$30.40	$74,500	$35.80	11.1%
Roanoke	60	$56,700	$27.30	$66,900	$32.20	-16.1%
Virginia Beach	540	$63,700	$30.60	$77,900	$37.40	57.2%

Washington
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Bremerton	40	$69,000	$33.20	$75,600	$36.40	17.6%
Kennewick	40	$80,400	$38.70	$98,600	$47.40	-9%
Olympia	540	$49,300	$23.70	$63,300	$30.40	1104.1%
Seattle (Area)	2,130	$67,300	$32.30	$79,600	$38.30	116.5%
Spokane	70	$58,300	$28.00	$67,800	$32.60	-23.6%

West Virginia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Morgantown	40	$45,700	$22.00	$67,900	$32.60	55.2%

Wisconsin
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Madison	210	$61,900	$29.70	$70,700	$34.00	36.6%
Milwaukee	130	$65,200	$31.30	$79,700	$38.30	-66.8%
Sheboygan	NA	$62,500	$30.10	$74,800	$36.00	NA

Wyoming
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Cheyenne	50	$83,100	$40.00	$94,400	$45.40	145.6%