Finance Degree Jobs and Salaries

01Finance degree jobs at a glance

The most common finance degree jobs are financial analyst, personal financial advisor, loan officer, budget analyst, securities sales agent and, after several years, financial manager. All figures below are from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: median pay in May 2025 and projected employment change from 2025 to 2035.

Most of these list a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education. Insurance sales agents list a high school diploma, and economists typically need a master's.

02Corporate finance: analyst to CFO

Corporate finance means managing a company's own money: budgeting, forecasting, deciding which projects to fund and reporting results to leadership. This is where the largest share of finance graduates work, in companies of every size and industry.

Typical ladder: financial analyst or FP&A (financial planning and analysis) analyst, senior analyst, finance manager, director of finance or controller, then chief financial officer. Treasury (cash, debt and banking relationships) is a parallel track.

What the work looks like: building the annual budget, comparing actual results to plan each month and explaining the variances, modeling the payback of a new factory line or software system, and preparing board presentations.

Pay signal: financial analysts earned a median of $103,570 in May 2025, and financial managers $166,570, the top of the table above. Financial managers typically have five or more years of experience in analyst, accounting or similar roles first.

Skills that win interviews: three-statement financial modeling, advanced spreadsheet skills, accounting fluency and the ability to explain numbers in plain language. Accounting coursework matters more than many finance students expect; see our accounting degree page if you are choosing between the two.

03Investments, advising and securities

This family covers managing and selling investments: personal financial advisors, wealth management associates, securities sales agents, research analysts and portfolio management roles.

• Personal financial advisors (median $105,070) help individuals plan for retirement, taxes, insurance and investing. Pay often depends on the clients you bring in, especially early on. Many pursue the CFP (Certified Financial Planner) certification after gaining experience.
• Securities, commodities and financial services sales agents (median $78,660) buy and sell securities for clients or firms. Most need securities licenses, which require employer sponsorship.
• Investment and research analysts fall within the BLS financial analysts category. Many pursue the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) designation, a multi-level exam program.

Growth is slow for advisors and sales agents (1% projected from 2025 to 2035), partly because automated investing tools handle simpler accounts. Advisors who offer comprehensive planning and strong client relationships are better positioned than those who mainly execute trades.

04Banking, lending and insurance

Loan officers (median $76,690) evaluate and approve loans for consumers, mortgages or businesses. Commercial lending tends to reward finance and accounting skills most, because you analyze company financial statements. Mortgage loan officers need a federal or state license. Many banks hire graduates into credit analyst training programs that lead to commercial lending.

Insurance underwriters (median $81,370) decide whether to insure a risk and at what price. Employment is projected to decline 4% as software automates routine underwriting, though complex commercial underwriting still needs people.

Actuaries (median $130,000) price insurance and pension risk using heavy math and professional exams. A finance degree alone is rarely enough; see our actuarial science degree guide for the coursework and exam path.

Banking also includes branch management, relationship banking, compliance and risk management roles, which reward finance graduates who understand regulation.

05Public sector and nonprofit finance

Budget analysts (median $91,640) help governments, universities, hospitals and large organizations plan and track spending. Government is a major employer. Growth is slow (2%), but these jobs tend to be stable and come with structured career ladders.

Other public finance roles include revenue agents and tax examiners (median $62,370), municipal finance analysts and grant financial managers. If public service appeals to you, a public administration degree or an MPA with a public finance focus is worth comparing with a straight finance degree.

06Finance jobs without a degree

People searching for finance jobs without a degree have real options, mostly in sales, service and support roles. Typical paths:

• Insurance sales agent: the BLS lists a high school diploma as typical entry education, with a median of $62,280 in May 2025. You need a state license, which you earn by passing an exam.
• Bank teller and personal banker: customer-facing entry points that can lead to branch roles.
• Bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks: typical entry education is some college with no degree; median pay was $50,670 in May 2025, though employment is projected to decline 6% as software automates routine work.
• Loan processor or mortgage assistant: support roles that can lead to licensed loan officer work.
• Securities sales support: some firms sponsor licensing for sales assistants.

The trade-off is clear in the data: most higher-paying finance roles list a bachelor's degree as the typical entry education. A realistic strategy is to start in one of these roles and use employer tuition assistance (Section 127 lets employers provide up to $5,250 a year tax-free, though your employer decides eligibility) to earn a degree while working. Our online business degree programs guide explains how to study while you work.

07How to get a finance job after graduating

1. Choose your family early. Corporate finance, investments, banking and insurance recruit differently. Banks and large firms often recruit interns a year ahead.
2. Build modeling skills. Practice building a three-statement model and a discounted cash flow valuation in a spreadsheet. Bring examples to interviews.
3. Get one finance internship or job. Even a part-time role at a local bank, credit union or small company's accounting department counts.
4. Take extra accounting. Intermediate accounting is one of the most useful electives a finance major can take.
5. Plan credentials later. The CFA, CFP and securities licenses usually come after you are hired. An MBA can help career changers or those aiming at senior leadership; see online MBA programs.

Want the full major breakdown first? Read our finance degree guide, or compare with other fields on jobs with a business degree.