ARTICLE: Careers in Finance

SESSION 5 BONUS

List of Finance & Financial Management Degree Options

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ARTICLE

Best Jobs for Graduates With a Finance Degree Career Options for Finance Majors

BY MIKE PROFITA Updated on March 15, 2021

If you’re intrigued by the fnancial markets, stocks, bonds, and other investment vehicles, and you also like to think about numbers, then a fnance major is worth considering.

If you’re a student or recent graduate, your fnance skills will help you get hired for these professions. Read on to learn about some of the top jobs for college graduates with a fnance degree.

Top Skills Finance Majors Have

Finance majors develop analytical skills in order to dissect fnancial statements and appraise the fnancial standing of companies, municipalities, and other entities. They can assess the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of business problems and evaluate the fnancial implications of corporate and individual actions.

Graduates with a degree in fnance also acquire the ability to deal with spreadsheets and with other software used to process and represent fnancial data. They learn to present fnancial information to

clients and colleagues with varying levels of fnancial sophistication.

An academic background in fnance can be applied to a broad range of careers in virtually every industry. Before arriving at a fnal career direction, consider your unique combination of skills, interests, values, and personality traits.

Top 10 Jobs for Finance Majors

Here are some options to consider as you explore careers related to a fnance degree.

Best jobs for fnance degree majors

1. Financial Planner

Finance majors learn about a variety of investment vehicles, and this knowledge can help fnancial planners to advise clients about how to manage their fnances. Finance majors can decipher trends in the securities markets and apply this perspective to their planning sessions.

Financial planners must crunch numbers and apply principles of accounting in order to devise plans suitable for individual investors. They also need to inspire trust in people and promote their services. Therefore, fnance majors with strong interpersonal skills and persuasive abilities will be most likely to succeed in this profession.

Salary and Employment Outlook: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), personal fnancial advisors earn an average salary of $87,850, and jobs are predicted to expand at a rate of 4% through 2029.

2. Financial Analyst

Financial analysts research stocks, bonds, companies, and industries to assist bankers, investors, and corporate fnance ofcers with mergers, acquisitions, and stock/bond oferings, as well as corporate expansions and restructuring. They can capitalize on their fnance major training as they dissect fnancial statements and other fnancial data.

Financial analysts build fnancial models and conduct complex quantitative analyses. Financial analysts also produce reports detailing their fndings and present their analyses to other members of the banking or fnance team.

Salary and Employment Outlook: According to the BLS, fnancial analysts earn an average salary of $81,590, and jobs are predicted to grow at a faster than average rate of 5% through 2029.

3. Investor Relations Associate

Finance majors with strong writing, organizational, and communication skills can thrive in this role. Investor relations professionals prepare and present fnancial information about their company or corporate clients to investors, analysts, and business media.

Investor relations professionals must digest, interpret, highlight, and present information from fnancial statements.

The analytical and software tools developed through their fnance major training facilitate this process.

Salary and Employment Outlook: According to PayScale, early-career investor relations associates earn an average salary of $61,076.

4. Budget Analyst

Budget analysts apply principles of fnance to projects and proposals in the business, educational, governmental, and not-for-proft sectors. They analyze budgets and evaluate the fnancial impact of continuing ventures and new ventures.

Budget analysts must have refned communication skills because they interview managers in order to gather information for proposals. They also train staf regarding the budget development processes for their organization. Finance majors develop the essential analytical and communication skills needed to become a successful budget analyst.

Salary and Employment Outlook: According to the BLS, budget analysts earn an average of $76,540, and jobs are predicted to grow by about 3% through 2029.

5. Actuary

Actuaries play a leadership role in fnancially oriented businesses such as insurance, banking, rating agencies, and accounting frms. The fnance graduate with strong mathematical skills is ideally positioned to calculate the likelihood of various events and to assess the fnancial consequences for those outcomes.

Just like the fnance major, actuaries manipulate software to perform calculations and represent their fndings. They present their recommendations to managers at their frm and convince others of the soundness of their decisions.

Salary and Employment Outlook: According to the BLS, actuaries earn an average salary of $108,350, and jobs are predicted to grow at a much faster than average rate of 19% through 2029.

6. Accountant

Finance majors learn to construct, interpret, and critique fnancial statements while completing the accounting component of their studies. Thus, they become capable of carrying out complex accounting work in fnancially oriented industries.

Students of fnance develop a number of accountancy skills as they learn to analyze business problems with precision and attention to detail, which prepares them for the world of accounting. Just like accountants, fnance majors learn to present fnancial information to clients and colleagues by using charts, graphs, and other visual aids.

Entry-level accounting jobs can be gateway jobs leading to corporate fnancial management positions, or leadership positions with non-profts and government agencies.

Salary and Employment Outlook: According to the BLS, accountants earn an average salary of $71,550, and jobs are predicted to grow at a rate of 4% through 2029.

7. Credit Analyst

Credit analysts evaluate the fnancial standing of loan prospects and assess the risks involved with ofering them fnancing. Finance majors learn to appraise the fnancial viability of entities and interpret their fnancial records and data. The investigative mindset of a fnance major would enable the credit analyst to scrutinize the legitimacy of fnancial information furnished by clients.

Finance majors analyze trends in industries that can impact the ability of organizations to generate the income necessary to repay loans.

They have the communication skills necessary for credit analysts to extract information from prospective clients and convey their analyses to colleagues.

Salary: According to the BLS, credit analysts earn a median salary of $73,650.

8. Attorney

Lawyers in many areas of practice, including divorce, product liability, civil litigation, corporate, labor, and securities law, beneft from a knowledge of fnance. Attorneys who investigate fnancial irregularities must read and understand fnancial statements. Lawyers in civil cases need the skills to estimate appropriate compensation for settlements.

Research and analytical skills developed by fnance majors enable attorneys to prepare their cases. Presentation skills and knowledge of presentation software help attorneys to deliver arguments and prepare exhibits.

Salary and Employment Outlook: According to the BLS, lawyers earn an average salary of $122,960, and jobs are predicted to grow by about 4% through 2029.

9. Commercial Real Estate Agent

Finance majors with strong verbal skills and a sales orientation should consider a career as a commercial real estate agent. Commercial real estate agents analyze the business plans and fnancial status of clients in order to recommend appropriate spaces for their enterprises.

When listing a property, brokers must estimate the value of the property based on its fnancial potential for prospective buyers. Agents advise clients about options for fnancing property acquisitions and launching new businesses.

Salary: According to PayScale, commercial real estate agents earn an average salary of about $42,500.

10. Business Teacher

Finance majors hone the communication and presentation skills that are essential to the teaching profession. Business teachers tap a broad knowledge of business as they instruct high school students about the fundamentals of accounting, management, marketing, and investments.

Finance majors with a curiosity about the business world and an enthusiasm for business issues are well suited for this role. Individuals who earn advanced degrees in business can also pursue teaching jobs at junior and four-year colleges.

Salary: According to PayScale, business teachers earn an average salary of $41,654.