FCFinancial Analyst (DCAA compliance)
FC
Career

Financial Analyst (DCAA compliance)

By the numbers
Typical pay
$83,680 / yr
Education to start
Bachelor's degree
Future demand
+4.6% by 2034
People in this job
1.4M
Figures shown for ·closest of 3 O*NET occupations
The work
A day, hour by hour
08:00
Morning triage

Scan contract activity logs and flag any overnight timekeeping anomalies.

08:30
Cost allowability review

Hunt through expense records — does this charge actually pass federal rules?

10:00
Audit prep deep dive

Pull supporting docs and stress-test the books before auditors arrive.

11:30
Indirect rate calc

Crunch overhead and G&A rates; confirm the government invoice is correct.

13:00
DCAA auditor meeting

Sit across from the auditor and defend every number on the books.

14:30
Timekeeping training

Walk a team through hour-logging rules so their timesheets survive scrutiny.

15:30
Pricing proposal review

Check a new bid's cost breakdown against FAR — flag anything that won't fly.

16:30
Audit trail update

Document every transaction touched today so any dollar can be explained on demand.

17:15
Escalation call

One timesheet looks wrong — decide now whether to flag it or dig deeper first.

Things you do
  • Hunt through financial records to catch costs that break federal rules.
  • Prep the company for government audits before auditors walk in the door.
  • Sit across from DCAA auditors and defend every number on the books.
  • Calculate indirect cost rates and make sure the government is billed correctly.
  • Trace every dollar on a defense contract back to its original source.
Decisions you’ll make
  • Is this cost truly allowable under the rules, or am I rationalizing it?
  • Should I flag this issue to management now, or dig deeper before raising the alarm?
  • Is our accounting system solid enough to survive a DCAA audit, or do we have hidden gaps?
  • Should I push back on the auditor's finding, or is it easier to just fix it and move on?
  • Does this employee's timesheet look like an honest mistake, or something I need to escalate?
Education Pathways · how you get there
84 in 100 went the college route · 16 in 100 found another way in Less than 5 years, typically
Education mapped from O*NET:Compliance Managers · 72% related
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