Budget Analysts Salary
In Wilmington, NC, budget analysts earn $59,050 at the median, or about $28.39 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $103K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.42), that's roughly $61,242 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,426/month, about 36.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $59K actually covers in Wilmington, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (96.42). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About budget analysts
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What this looks like in Wilmington
Pay for budget analysts in Wilmington runs about 36% below the U.S. median of $92K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,426/month, which is 36.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.42) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for budget analystss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for budget analysts in metros near Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary | $81K | $82K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $89K | $92K |
| Fayetteville | $101K | $110K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $82K | $84K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wilmington, NC
Entry-level budget analysts (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $103K or more, a $53K spread from bottom to top.
Budget Analysts pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Budget Analysts salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $125K | +36% | 1,490 |
| Maryland | $106K | +16% | 2,490 |
| Virginia | $105K | +15% | 2,730 |
| California | $100K | +9% | 4,160 |
| Alabama | $99K | +9% | 870 |
| Colorado | $97K | +6% | 1,290 |
| Washington | $97K | +5% | 1,510 |
| Michigan | $96K | +5% | 1,020 |
| New Jersey | $96K | +5% | 840 |
| Connecticut | $95K | +4% | 970 |
| Oregon | $95K | +4% | 1,090 |
| Illinois | $95K | +4% | 750 |
| Alaska | $95K | +3% | 220 |
| Vermont | $93K | +2% | 90 |
| Rhode Island | $93K | +1% | 90 |
| New Hampshire | $93K | +1% | 80 |
| Hawaii | $92K | +1% | 210 |
| Massachusetts | $92K | +1% | 1,280 |
| Georgia | $92K | +0% | 1,900 |
| Ohio | $90K | -2% | 800 |
| Utah | $89K | -3% | 280 |
| New York | $89K | -3% | 2,760 |
| Maine | $88K | -4% | 200 |
| New Mexico | $87K | -5% | 740 |
| Tennessee | $87K | -6% | 1,140 |
| Iowa | $87K | -6% | 390 |
| South Carolina | $86K | -6% | 470 |
| Minnesota | $86K | -6% | 450 |
| Arizona | $85K | -7% | 730 |
| Pennsylvania | $84K | -8% | 1,490 |
| Florida | $84K | -8% | 3,150 |
| Idaho | $83K | -9% | 190 |
| Nebraska | $83K | -9% | 200 |
| Texas | $83K | -9% | 3,340 |
| North Carolina | $82K | -10% | 1,830 |
| Wisconsin | $82K | -10% | 820 |
| Indiana | $82K | -10% | 390 |
| Delaware | $82K | -11% | 260 |
| Missouri | $82K | -11% | 520 |
| Nevada | $82K | -11% | 440 |
| Wyoming | $81K | -12% | 80 |
| Oklahoma | $81K | -12% | 670 |
| Louisiana | $81K | -12% | 330 |
| Kansas | $80K | -13% | 270 |
| Montana | $80K | -13% | 360 |
| South Dakota | $79K | -14% | 120 |
| West Virginia | $79K | -14% | 180 |
| Mississippi | $79K | -14% | 390 |
| North Dakota | $77K | -16% | 150 |
| Kentucky | $77K | -16% | 630 |
| Arkansas | $72K | -22% | 320 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track budget analysts salary changes
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a budget analyst afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wilmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 36.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,426/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for budget analysts in Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new budget analysts typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,313/month. At HUD’s $1,426/month FMR, rent would take 43% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is budget analyst a high-paying job in Wilmington?
Local pay runs 36% below the national median — $59K here vs. $92K nationally.
How does Wilmington compare to the national average for budget analysts?
Wilmington pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $92K — that’s -36%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $61K — below the national median.
How much do budget analysts make in Wilmington, NC?
The median is $59,050 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,720, and experienced budget analysts can clear $103,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,902/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,426/month, which eats 36.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a budget analysts salary go in Wilmington?
Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 96.42 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median budget analysts salary is worth about $61,242 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do budget analysts get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.