Financial Analyst: Facts, Skills, and Next Paths

A Financial Analyst collects, reviews, and interprets financial data to help organizations plan budgets, forecast future performance, and make operational decisions. Day-to-day tasks include building spreadsheet models, analyzing budget reports, and preparing summaries for leadership.

The core responsibilities are financial modeling, budgeting, and forecasting — often in support of a specific business unit or region. At companies like Lowe's, analysts transform complex plans into actionable forecasts and manage scorecards that track performance. At the Department of the Army, analysts administer budget resources, evaluate program funding execution, and brief command leadership on funding priorities. The role typically sits inside a corporate finance or FP&A team and interacts with operations, sales, and executive leadership.

The median salary for a Financial Analyst is approximately $106,773. The most-requested skills in current job postings are Spreadsheet Modeling (60%), Analytics & Reporting (40%), Financial Analysis (40%), and Financial Modeling (40%), followed by Microsoft Office (40%) and Forecasting (30%).