Finance jobs can pay anywhere from roughly $60,000 a year to well above $150,000 at the median, depending on the occupation. Some experienced professionals earn considerably more. In the United States, business and financial occupations had a median annual wage of $82,660 in May 2025, compared with $50,980 for all occupations, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
The highest-paying finance careers are generally specialized technical roles, client-revenue positions, and management jobs. Financial managers, for example, had a median wage of $166,570, while financial and investment analysts earned a median of $102,740. Compensation can also change substantially based on industry, location, experience, commissions, bonuses, and management responsibility.
How Much Do Finance Jobs Pay?
The table below uses May 2025 BLS wage data, the latest figures available in the Occupational Outlook Handbook as of 2026. The lower and upper figures are 10th-percentile thresholds, not starting and maximum salaries. Someone earning below the lower figure is among the lowest-paid 10 percent, while someone earning above the upper figure is among the highest-paid 10 percent.
| Finance career | Median annual pay | Lowest 10% earn below | Highest 10% earn above |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financial manager | $166,570 | $94,310 | $323,270 |
| Actuary | $130,000 | $78,570 | $215,100 |
| Financial risk specialist | $117,330 | $64,820 | $196,110 |
| Personal financial advisor | $105,070 | $50,190 | $357,020 |
| Financial and investment analyst | $102,740 | $63,720 | $180,860 |
| Financial examiner | $94,160 | $56,230 | $174,200 |
| Budget analyst | $91,640 | $62,250 | $136,660 |
| Accountant or auditor | $83,680 | $56,020 | $144,090 |
| Securities and financial services sales agent | $78,660 | $48,040 | $212,880 |
| Loan officer | $76,690 | $39,430 | $153,180 |
| Tax examiner, collector, or revenue agent | $62,370 | $42,000 | $114,550 |
These figures show why asking “what do finance jobs pay?” does not produce one meaningful salary number. A finance professional’s earning potential depends heavily on the type of work being performed.
Which Finance Jobs Have the Highest Salaries?
Among the occupations above, financial managers have the highest BLS median wage at $166,570 per year. Their compensation is higher partly because financial management is usually not an entry-level career. BLS says financial managers typically need a bachelor’s degree plus five years or more of experience in another business or financial occupation.
Actuaries also earn comparatively high salaries, with a median of $130,000. This career combines finance, mathematics, statistics, and risk analysis. Entry generally requires a bachelor’s degree, followed by a series of professional examinations.
Financial risk specialists earned a median of $117,330, while personal financial advisors earned $105,070. Financial and investment analysts were close behind at $102,740.
These medians should not be treated as guaranteed salaries. Someone beginning a finance career may earn substantially less, while an experienced professional with management responsibility, valuable clients, commissions, or specialized expertise may earn considerably more.
Financial Analyst Salaries
Financial analysis is one of the most recognizable finance career paths. Financial analysts evaluate financial information, forecast trends, assess investments, and produce recommendations used by businesses and investors.
BLS divides this area into financial and investment analysts and financial risk specialists. In May 2025:
- Financial and investment analysts had a median wage of $102,740.
- Financial risk specialists had a median wage of $117,330.
- The highest-paid 10 percent of financial and investment analysts earned more than $180,860.
- The highest-paid 10 percent of financial risk specialists earned more than $196,110.
Industry makes a meaningful difference. Financial and investment analysts working in securities, commodity contracts, investments, and related activities had a median wage of $124,370, compared with $95,830 for those working for insurance carriers and related businesses.
Someone considering analyst positions should therefore compare more than job titles. Two “financial analyst” offers can produce different compensation depending on whether the employer is an investment firm, bank, insurer, technology company, consulting business, or corporate finance department.
How Much Do Financial Managers Make?
Financial managers earned a median annual wage of $166,570 in May 2025. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $94,310, while the highest 10 percent earned more than $323,270.
Pay also differed by industry:
| Industry | Median financial manager pay |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | $174,170 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | $172,340 |
| Finance and insurance | $169,980 |
| Manufacturing | $164,400 |
| Government | $139,810 |
Financial managers may hold titles such as controller, finance manager, treasury manager, credit manager, or risk manager, depending on their responsibilities. Moving into management can significantly increase earning potential, but these jobs normally require several years of previous finance or accounting experience.
What Do Personal Financial Advisors Earn?
Personal financial advisors had a median annual wage of $105,070 in May 2025. Pay varied dramatically across the occupation. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $50,190, while the highest 10 percent earned more than $357,020.
The unusually wide spread reflects how advisors are compensated. Some receive salaries, while others earn commissions, incentive compensation, bonuses, fees, or combinations of these arrangements.
Industry also matters. Advisors working in securities, investments, and related activities had a median wage of $120,870, compared with $96,010 in credit intermediation and $84,500 among insurance carriers.
An advisor who develops a substantial client base may therefore have very different earnings from someone working in a salaried position early in their career.
What Do Accounting and Corporate Finance Jobs Pay?
Accounting and corporate finance provide some of the broadest routes into financial careers.
Accountants and auditors earned a median of $83,680 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned below $56,020, while the highest-paid 10 percent earned above $144,090. Accountants working in finance and insurance had a median wage of $93,290.
Budget analysts earned a higher median of $91,640. Federal government budget analysts had a median wage of $103,380, while those working in professional, scientific, and technical services had a $101,850 median.
Corporate finance careers can eventually lead into roles such as finance manager, controller, treasury manager, or other management positions. That progression is one reason salary comparisons based only on someone’s first finance job can underestimate the longer-term earning range of the field.
What Do Investment Banking Jobs Pay?
Investment banking compensation is harder to summarize with a single government salary figure because BLS does not publish “investment banker” as a standalone occupational wage category.
Investment bankers fall within the broader category of securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents, which also includes other financial-market professionals. BLS specifically describes investment bankers as professionals involved in activities such as initial public offerings, mergers, and acquisitions.
The broader occupational category had a median wage of $78,660 in May 2025, but workers in securities, commodity contracts, investments, and related activities had a median of $103,030. The highest 10 percent across the occupation earned more than $212,880.
These figures need careful interpretation for investment banking. Compensation in banking can contain significant variable pay, and BLS wage statistics do not capture every type of bonus or equity award.
Salary Is Not the Same as Total Compensation
A $100,000 salary does not necessarily mean a finance professional’s total annual compensation is $100,000.
A compensation package might include:
Base salary + annual incentive + commissions + equity + retirement contributions + other benefits
For example, suppose an employee receives:
- $90,000 base salary
- 10% target cash bonus
- $4,000 employer retirement contribution
A full target bonus would add $9,000, producing $99,000 in target cash compensation. Including the hypothetical employer retirement contribution would bring the value considered in this simplified example to $103,000 before accounting for other benefits.
This distinction becomes particularly important when comparing banking, sales, advisory, investment, and senior corporate finance jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics include base pay, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. However, the program excludes items including overtime, profit-sharing payments, certain nonproduction bonuses, and some other forms of compensation.
As a result, a government wage figure and an employer’s advertised “total compensation” can legitimately show different numbers.
How Experience Changes Finance Salaries
Experience affects finance pay in two ways. Employees often become more valuable within the same occupation, and they can also move into entirely different occupations with greater responsibility.
A financial analyst, for example, may eventually become a finance manager. The BLS median rises from $102,740 for financial and investment analysts to $166,570 for financial managers. That does not mean every analyst will receive a 62 percent raise by becoming a manager, because the occupations have different employers, responsibilities, locations, and worker populations. It does show why career stage matters when comparing salary statistics.
The 10th-percentile wage should also not be mistaken for an “entry-level salary.” BLS percentile data cover workers throughout an occupation. A new employee’s actual offer depends on the role, employer, market, qualifications, internship experience, and location.
Industry Can Change Your Pay Without Changing Your Job Title
One of the most overlooked factors in finance compensation is the employer’s industry.
Consider several examples from BLS data:
- Financial and investment analysts in securities and investment activities had a median wage of $124,370, compared with $95,830 in insurance.
- Accountants working in finance and insurance had a median of $93,290, while those in accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services had a median of $81,490.
- Financial examiners working for the federal government had a median of $151,360, compared with $85,610 in state government.
- Personal financial advisors working in securities and investment-related businesses had a median of $120,870.
When evaluating a finance career, it can therefore be more useful to ask, “What does this occupation pay in this industry?” rather than relying on a national job-title average alone.
How to Compare a Finance Job Offer
A good salary comparison starts with base pay but should not end there.
First, identify guaranteed compensation. This includes the base salary and any payments you are contractually certain to receive.
Next, separate guaranteed compensation from variable compensation. Ask how bonuses or commissions are calculated, what percentage of employees typically achieve the stated target, and whether the payment depends on individual, team, or company performance.
Then review benefits and long-term compensation. Retirement contributions, health insurance, paid leave, stock awards, signing bonuses, education assistance, and other benefits can make two similar salary offers economically different.
Finally, consider the workload and requirements attached to the compensation. A higher-paying position may involve longer hours, licensing requirements, client acquisition targets, substantial travel, professional examinations, or management responsibility.
Comparing total compensation against the actual demands of the position gives a more useful picture than choosing the offer with the largest base-salary number.
Are Finance Jobs Well Paid?
Finance careers generally pay above the economy-wide median, although not every finance job is a high-income position.
Business and financial occupations collectively had a median wage of $82,660, approximately $31,680 above the $50,980 median for all U.S. occupations in May 2025.
The field also has a wide earnings distribution. Tax examiners and revenue agents had a $62,370 median, while financial managers earned $166,570. At the upper end of individual occupational distributions, some BLS thresholds exceed $200,000 or even $300,000.
The practical takeaway is that “finance” is too broad to evaluate as one salary category. Career specialization matters considerably.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do finance jobs pay on average?
There is no single salary covering every finance career. The broader U.S. business and financial occupational group had a median annual wage of $82,660 in May 2025. Individual finance roles ranged from around $60,000 to more than $160,000 at the median in the occupations examined here.
What finance job pays the most?
Among the occupations compared in this guide, financial managers had the highest median BLS wage at $166,570. Actuaries had a $130,000 median, while financial risk specialists had a $117,330 median. Actual compensation can differ substantially by employer and industry.
How much do entry-level finance jobs pay?
There is no reliable single national entry-level salary for finance because starting pay depends on the occupation, city, employer, and candidate. BLS medians and 10th-percentile figures should not be interpreted as starting salaries because they include workers at different experience levels.
Can you make six figures working in finance?
Yes. Several finance occupations have national median wages above $100,000, including financial and investment analysts, financial risk specialists, personal financial advisors, actuaries, and financial managers. Earning six figures is not guaranteed, particularly at the beginning of a career.
Do finance jobs usually include bonuses?
Some do. Bonuses, commissions, and incentive compensation are particularly relevant in financial sales, advisory, lending, investment, and some corporate roles. Compensation structures vary by employer. BLS wage statistics include some incentives and commissions but exclude several other forms of bonus and supplementary compensation.
Does location affect finance salaries?
Yes. Labor markets and employer concentrations differ by state and metropolitan area, so national medians should be treated as benchmarks rather than guaranteed local salaries. BLS provides state and metropolitan wage data for individual finance occupations.
Conclusion
So, what do finance jobs pay? In the United States, many finance careers pay well above the national occupational median, but compensation varies substantially by specialization.
Current BLS data show median wages of about $77,000 for loan officers, $84,000 for accountants, $103,000 for financial and investment analysts, $117,000 for financial risk specialists, $130,000 for actuaries, and $167,000 for financial managers. Some experienced professionals earn far more than these medians.
When comparing finance careers or job offers, look beyond one salary figure. Evaluate the specific occupation, experience requirements, employer industry, location, bonus structure, commissions, equity, benefits, and workload. Those factors usually provide a much clearer picture of what a finance job actually pays.
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