BUDGET ANALYST 1
Career Family: BUDGET ANALYST
To land Budget Analyst 1 in New Jersey you go through the competitive route: you sit an announced exam and the score puts you on the eligible list agencies hire from.
It is the top of the Budget Analyst ladder, a grade above Budget Analyst 2. A master's degree is the listed credential, and extra years on the job can be traded for it. The FY2026 range lands between $80,756 and $118,678, and state payroll currently lists 4 people in the title, most of them at Children and Families.
How to get hired
- Watch for an open-competitive announcement for Budget Analyst 1 on the NJ Civil Service Commission jobs portal. Announcements run for a fixed filing window.
- Apply during that window and sit the examination. Depending on the title, that can be a written test, a rating of your training and experience, or a mix of the two.
- Passing scores go onto a ranked eligible list. Veterans get preference points added on top of their score.
- When an agency has a vacancy it must appoint from the top of that list under the "Rule of Three." Many competitive jobs are first filled provisionally while the list is being built.
Read the official specification at NJ Civil Service Commission.
Pay ladder: Budget Analyst series
- Budget Analyst 3 — $56,253 – $81,897
- Budget Analyst 2 — $67,312 – $98,503
- Budget Analyst 1 — $80,756 – $118,678 (this title)
Its top salary lands around the 61st percentile of all NJ civil service titles that publish a range.
Rungs are ordered by FY2026 pay. NJ level numbers are not always sequential, so ordering follows salary rather than the title number.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 4 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $118,678. The agencies employing the most are:
- Children and Families (3)
- Human Services (1)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator.
Definition
Under direction of a supervisor in a state department or agency, performs the more responsible/complex technical budget analysis and attendant budget work including preparation of detailed analyses and reports; supervises staff and work activities; prepares and signs official performance evaluations for subordinate staff; does other related duties.
Examples of work
If assigned to the Department of the Treasury, makes continuing studies/analyses of assigned state departments to determine accurate budget requirements and of department units when assigned to a state department. If assigned to the Department of the Treasury, reviews/approves official personnel action forms from the point of view of availability of funds and necessity/advisability of the request; collects information for and prepares statistical and other data for the supervisor's use and for inclusion in the annual budget message; organizes data/information with a view toward development, formulation, and recommendation of standards to be applied; reviews budget requests submitted by state departments and prepares recommendations thereon; confers with and advises state department officers concerning their operating requirements, fiscal procedures, and budget requests; acts as liaison between the supervisor and the several departments/units of the department concerned. Supervises work operations and/or functional programs, and has responsibility for employee evaluations and for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting, and/or disciplining of employees. Makes extensive investigations and prepares detailed recommendations relating to proposed expansion, continuation, or elimination of functions, needs, positions, and groups of positions. Makes physical inspections of plant and equipment and prepares recommendations concerning replacement and/or repairs. Sets up and maintains control of work programs based on the Appropriation Bill. Reviews requests for transfer and allocation of funds, determines factual basis for such requests, and prepares appropriate recommendations for the use of the supervisor. Determines, with exactness, the estimated cost of salary programs authorized by statute and/or the Department of Personnel in conformance with prescribed rules/regulations; makes required allocations of funds to the varied department salary accounts. If assigned to the Department of the Treasury, attends department budget hearings and assists in the conduct thereof; prepares pertinent/significant questions; when so required, attends appropriation committee hearings. Organizes, instructs, and supervises work of assigned employees. Compiles and maintains in current condition all changes imposed by regulation and/or legislation which affect the individual state departments concerned. Maintains required budget controls and detailed records of state/federal funds and sees that expenditures do not exceed appropriations, and that department commitments will not result in unanticipated future requirements. Conducts investigations; makes research studies and prepares detailed reports thereon and on other technical budget matters containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Maintains records and files. Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
License
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
Knowledge of budget practices, procedures, problems, and analysis. Knowledge of statistical theory, practices, and techniques and their application to budget preparation and analysis. Ability to acquire knowledge of New Jersey laws, pertinent regulations of the federal government, and rules, regulations, standards, policies, and procedures of the Department of the Treasury pertaining to budgets and budget control. Ability to organize assigned technical budget analysis and related work and develop effective work methods. Ability to analyze, interpret, and apply basic law and regulations. Ability to supervise assigned staff and plan, organize, and implement projects within the unit. Ability to make continuing studies/analyses of assigned state department or units of the department concerned to determine budget requirements if assigned to the Department of the Treasury. Ability to prepare statistical/financial data for use of the supervisor. Ability to use basic information to develop standards to be applied to budgets and to review budget requests critically using basic data. Ability to review operating procedures and provide advice/assistance to state department officers or staff of the department concerned on matters pertaining to operating requirements, fiscal procedures, and budget requests. Ability to make field investigations on matters relating to expansion, needs, positions, and groups of positions. Ability to set up and maintain a control of work programs based on the Appropriations Bill. Ability to prepare estimates of the cost of salary programs, to allocate funds to the varied department/unit salary accounts, and to review requests for transfer and allocation of funds. Ability to attend and assist with the conduct of department budget hearings if assigned to the Department of the Treasury. Ability to maintain required budget controls and detailed records of state/federal funds and to see that expenditures do not exceed appropriations. Ability to carry out assigned investigations, surveys, and studies. Ability to prepare clear, sound, accurate, and informative reports on budget matters containing findings, analyses, conclusions, and recommendations. Ability to maintain records and files. Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units. Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed. Applicants must meet one of the following or a combination of both experience and education. Thirty (30) semester hour credits are equal to one (1) year of relevant experience. Seven (7) years of professional experience in the maintenance and/or review of budgetary and fiscal records. OR Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; and three (3) years of the above-mentioned professional experience. OR Possession of a master's degree in business administration, public administration, accounting, or finance; and two (2) years of the above-mentioned professional experience. "Professional experience" refers to work that is creative, analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range and depth of specialized knowledge of the profession's principles, concepts, theories, and practices; and is performed with the authority to act according to one's own judgment and make accurate and informed decisions.