Whether you want to be an accountant, financial analyst, or something else entirely, the finance business is teeming with high-paying, good positions. However, the best positions for many ambitious professionals are ones that pay the most money.
Jobs In Finance And How Much You Can Earn
Let’s look at the best-paying careers in finance today and see how much they make so you can choose the finest professional path for your ambitions.
1. Economist
Economists are experienced financial specialists who have received considerable training in data analysis, statistics, and forecasting. Because they are economic specialists, they may work for firms, as private consultants, or as professors or teachers at institutions.
Economists are responsible for monitoring, observing, and advising on economic trends. These highly compensated professionals conduct market research and employ numerous mathematical models to forecast future demand, whether the economy will trend upward or downward, and much more.
Economists are frequently in great demand for their advisory potential due to their extensive knowledge of economic movement and activity. Their financial modeling and financial reporting are crucial to the finance sector as high-earning financial experts.
The majority of finance experts in this role have several years of experience. They can work for the government, large corporations, and small companies. Economists typically earn around $106,000 per year.
2. Investment Banker
Investment bankers are banking specialists who handle the investment portfolios of companies, governments, and huge corporations. Larger corporations may invest in a variety of enterprises, thus investment bankers assist them in managing their investment portfolios.
- Investment bankers, in particular, can:
- Assist their clients in raising finance.
- Assist customers in investing capital in the most effective way feasible to meet their financial objectives.
To qualify, investment bankers must have substantial expertise in the financial business. In exchange for their education, they typically earn relatively high average incomes, typically around $100,000 per year. Those working for more expensive financial institutions or with master’s degrees in business administration or corporate finance can frequently command better pay.
3. Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Despite having many of the same obligations, such as examining corporate books, balancing accounts, and ensuring that all firm financial transactions are above board/legal, certified public accountants are more competent and trusted than “normal” accountants. That’s because, as their job title implies, CPAs are certified.
To earn this qualification, they must finish further schooling and pass a costly CPA exam. As a result, CPAs earn more than regular accountants and are frequently employed to ensure that a company’s accounting department runs as efficiently as possible. Many CPAs also conduct third-party or outside audits on businesses. Some work for the Internal Revenue Service.
CPAs are compensated highly, typically earning $77,000 or more per year. This is not an entry-level position, therefore be prepared to have financial services experience as well as a graduate-level finance degree before applying. Those with financial planning or budget analyst experience will advance faster in this position.
4. Financial Risk Manager
Financial risk managers play a vital role in assisting organizations and investors in understanding various degrees of financial risk. For example, if a corporation wishes to invest in a new hedge fund portfolio, a financial risk manager may assess the wisdom of the choice and advise the CEO accordingly.
Financial risk managers also help businesses maximize profitability and reduce financial downturns, which is especially important during times of economic instability.
Additional responsibilities of financial risk managers may include:
- Rejecting the profitability of a future product.
- Determining the overall earning capacity of a new market.
- Advising executives as to whether they should expand their businesses.
Financial risk managers can earn about $116,000 a year.
5. Information Technology Auditor
Information technology auditors work for government or business organizations to guarantee that regulatory and other compliance requirements are met.
For instance, if a company has a database that stores consumer financial data, such as credit card information, an IT auditor will:
- Ascertain that the information is stored appropriately and legally in accordance with legislation such as the CCPA and GDPR.
- Ensure that the database is safe and that no consumer financial information is being put at risk.
- Conduct frequent security and compliance audits to ensure that businesses are not breaking the law.
As a result, information technology auditors must have both IT and financial skills. These highly technical professions necessitate extensive familiarity with operating systems and IT information security, as well as excellent communication and interpersonal abilities. IT auditors can expect to earn around $77,000 per year.
6. Insurance Consultant
Insurance consultants are skilled financial specialists who provide advice on the value of insurance products to people and businesses. Insurance consultants typically work for insurance firms, and they may frequently seek out new insurance clients by emphasizing the importance of insurance and marketing specific insurance policy bargains.
Many insurance consultants are well-versed in various insurance policies, statistics, and risk assessments. As a result, they are well-equipped to persuade a company or individual to purchase insurance that they would not have purchased otherwise. They must be licensed to sell insurance and have excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
Given the nature of insurance coverage in this field, financial insurance consultants often work with companies and firms rather than individuals. The average annual salary for a financial insurance advisor is $94,000.
7. Private Equity Associate
Private equity associates are corporate executives who work for funds, investment banks, and other comparable organisations.
- They are responsible for a variety of tasks, including finding new investors for money.
- Identifying the finest investments for funds to invest in.
- Providing assistance with investment analysis and organization.
- Conducting due diligence on potential investors.
Consider private equity associates to be fund and investment firm investigators. They must be effective communicators since they blend financial analysis and interpersonal abilities. They must also be well-versed in the financial industry, investment banking, and company strategy. The average private equity associate earns approximately $95,000 per year.
8. Financial Consultant
Financial advisers are highly compensated financial specialists who assist customers in identifying short and long-term financial objectives and then offer products or methods to help them reach those objectives. This can involve help with personal finances, portfolio management, or formulating investing strategy.
As an example, someone may seek retirement planning advice from a financial advisor. The financial advisor will examine their income, goals, and needs before assisting them in developing a financial budget plan to guarantee that they save enough money for retirement when the time comes. Financial advisors can work for people one-on-one or for financial counseling firms.
Other financial advisers may work for businesses, providing budgetary and accounting assistance to corporations looking to save money or cut back on expenses. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, financial advisors earn an average of $95,000 a year.
9. Chief Compliance Officer
Chief compliance officers, like CFOs, are high-level executives. Their role, however, is to ensure that businesses and personnel monitor and comply to compliance requirements. For example, if a corporation has specific standards governing client financial data, a chief compliance officer will be in charge of ensuring that everyone follows those guidelines.
Chief compliance officers have a critical role in modern organizations and businesses, particularly when it comes to consumer data and financial information. As a result, chief compliance officers are becoming increasingly common in businesses all around the world.
They often require bachelor’s degrees and, in some cases, graduate degrees in related fields such as finance, business management, and others.
If you are qualified for a position as chief compliance officer, you could make an annual salary of almost $77,000.
10. Chief Financial Officer
The chief financial officer, or CFO, is an upper-level executive who is in control of a company’s finances. Consider the CFO to be one of the CEO’s (chief executive officer’s) right-hand men or women. They typically have a background in finance and understand the intricacies of the company’s records.
Chief financial officers are compensated well for their job titles and responsibilities, and they are frequently cofounders with other high-level executives.
The following are examples of CFO responsibilities:
- Looking over the books.
- Budgeting for future expansion.
- Making financial recommendations to the CEO.
- Approving major expenditures made by the CEO.
- Overseeing the financial and accounting departments.
Generally, CFOs earn salaries of about $100,000 a year.
11. Hedge Fund Manager
Hedge fund managers are investment management experts who work in a similar capacity to investment bankers. They do, however, work exclusively for hedge funds, which are investment firms that receive money from clients and invest it in a wide range of stocks and financial instruments.
Hedge fund managers have significant obligations because they frequently work with considerably higher risk and much higher return for their clients.Hedge funds need investors to pool their resources in order to make larger investments and, as a result, earn higher profits.
To achieve these objectives, hedge fund managers must:
- Markets should be monitored in order to optimize cash flow for investors and clients.
- Use their substantial financial experience to make investments once they have received authorization from their clients.
Hedge fund managers frequently work extremely long hours because they are in charge of large sums of money. Having said that, these are some of the highest-paid professionals in the financial world, with annual earnings averaging around $131,000 per year.
12. Financial Analyst
You can also work as a chartered financial analyst, a finance sector specialist who analyzes data to assist firms and stakeholders in making the best financial decisions possible.
Financial analysts are essentially data professionals in the finance industry, and their responsibilities frequently include:
- Data collection and organization by corporations and banks.
- Data analysis to gain market or customer insights.
- Making advice or guidelines for investors and businesses to follow in order to make sound financial decisions in the future.
Financial analysts can work for banks, insurance companies, funds, and a variety of other organizations, depending on the specifics of this entry-level profession. In any event, their principal responsibilities are to fulfill their customers’ budget demands.
Salary levels vary depending on experience and employer, but salaries average around $96,000 per year.