Finance is a college/university education major in which students study topics including accounting, statistics, business laws, and economics. It is a perfect major for those who are interested in the study of business practices, financials of businesses. A degree in finance can help you start a career as an advisor or manager. It offers a lot of great opportunities for career growth. Apart from the private sector, there are also a lot of career opportunities in Federal and State departments. In the private business sector, you can become a financial analyst or financial manager, or an accountant, meanwhile, at federal and state government departments, you can become a financial inspector, tax collector, or financial expert. You can also become a teacher and teach finance-related subjects after your Masters. There are endless opportunities and career choices if you select finance as your college major.

Here are the top 15 career choices related to finance degrees that you can select after completing your education in finance.

Top 15 Career Choices WITH a Finance Degree:

Here is a list of the top 15 career choices after a finance degree. These are the top career choices as they are high-paying and offer multiple chances of promotion to the top level. Also, there are other benefits such as job security, satisfaction, and bonuses as well. The list below is just to give you an idea about the career choices, job responsibilities, median salaries, number of jobs related to each career choice. Apart from these career choices on this list, there are also a lot of other job opportunities that you can avail yourself of with a degree in finance. Read the article below to know more.

• Financial Analyst
• Financial Manager
• Accountant
• Financial Advisor
• Actuary
• Investor’s relations advisor
• Budget analyst
• Credit analyst
• Financial attorney
• Real estate agent
• Business and finance teacher
• Grant analyst
• Fintech business analyst
• Impact investment analyst

1. Financial analyst:

After completing your finance degree, you can become a junior finance analyst and can later be promoted to the position of senior financial analyst. There is a huge job market for financial analyst experts with the right set of skills. They play a pivotal role in the management of expenses of a company. Financial analysts help their companies analyze the expenses and help their companies lower their costs and increase their profits.

Apart from analysis, in some companies, financial analysts are also responsible for other tasks related to the finance department including management, planning, and making predictions based on the analyzed data. This is a management level high-paying job, and financial analysts can make up to $83,660 per year in salaries. Also, there are a lot of employment opportunities as well in the field of finance analyst. According to BLS.gov, the job market size of the financial analyst’s positions was 487,800 in 2019.

2. Financial manager:

To enter the job market as a financial manager, you need at least a Bachelor’s degree in Finance. This is also a high-paying job that offers career development and growth. In smaller companies, you will be responsible for all the activities related to finance, including analysis, accounting, financial predictions, and managing the finances of your company. Meanwhile, in larger companies, there are entire finance departments. As a finance manager, you will be leading the entire finance department. Leading finance managers can make a lot more but that position requires at least having a Master’s degree and some experience in managing finances.

Financial Managers are needed at every company and organization. That means, there is a large number of available jobs for people with finance degrees. According to bls.gov, a finance manager’s median income is $134,180 per year. According to BLS.gov, the job market size of the financial manager’s positions was 697,900 in 2019.

3. Accountants:

Another very high-paying job that you can get as a finance degree holder is the job of an accountant. An accountant is a key position in any company, they are aware of the financial laws and help their companies create and follow legal financial policies. They also help keep the record of financial transactions of the company and manage different accounts linked to the company. Accountants also audit companies’ finances and work for government agencies. From handling and recording transactions to managing and preparing financial audit reports and statements of the companies are also a part of an accountant’s duties.

The job of an accountant requires at least a Bachelor’s in Finance. To become an accounts manager, you may need a Master’s in Finance or substantial business world experience. The median salary for the accountants and auditors’ jobs is $73,560. There are a lot of job opportunities in both the private and public sectors for the job of accountants. Based on the data from bls.gov, there are more than 1,436,100 positions of auditors and accountants in the US.

4. Financial Advisor:

Financial Advisors help their employers and companies in finance-related matters including future investment opportunities and help them manage their finances. Their job role requires research in the different available investment opportunities. After this market research, they advise their employers to direct their investments and funds in a profitable opportunity.  This job opportunity is for those people who are interested in investment-related jobs. It has a lot of opportunities for growth as financial advisors progress. There are specific financial assistant firms that provide financial advisory services.

You can start working there or open your independent financial advising business. If you are looking for a job, you can start working at a capital venture firm. The median salary of financial advisors is about $89,330 per year. Based on the data from bls.gov, as of 2019, there are 263,000 job positions for financial advisors in different companies across the United States.

5. Actuary:

This is also a finance management-related job that you can get after completing your bachelor’s degree in finance. The job of actuary requires evaluation of the expenses of your company or firm, management of the funds, and advising your firm or company related to the future financial risks. This is also a very important job position in any company, as you will be responsible for predicting the future of your company’s finances. The job of an actuary requires the use of statistics and financial theories to predict the right result based on the events happening or may happen in the future.

This is a very high-paying career and can help you earn six-figure salaries. The median salary for the job of actuaries is about $111,030. According to the data from bls.gov, as of 2019, there are 27,700 job positions of actuaries in different companies in the United States.

6. Investors Relations Associate:

An Investor relations associate or manager is a lucrative job position that offers growth and development in a career and also provides higher salaries. This is a job that requires communication with investors and managing the relationships between your company and investors. You will be responsible for bringing the new investors, and communicating between the company and stakeholders. This job role also requires linking with other departments and management of the company and helping them create better investor relations as an associate or manager. To get this job, you will need a bachelor’s degree in finance at least.

Investor relations managers and associates also make higher salaries, and their median salary is $59,232. According to the data from bls.gov there are 274,600 job positions from the role of investors relations and public relations domain in businesses and private firms. You can start a career after a bachelor’s, but to reach higher positions and further promotions, you may need a Master’s degree.

7. Budget Analyst:

Budgeting is a very important part of a modern business process and every business needs a specialist budget analyst. These budget analysts help their companies do an analysis of their budgets and prepare reports based on that analysis. This job position is also very common in many federal and state government agencies as well. The main job of budget analysts is to help companies, organizations, and governments create better and more efficient budgets and policies related to budgeting. It helps them direct their resources and funds in a way that they can reduce their expenses and increase their profitability or save money.

The job of a budget analyst is also very important and high-paying. It can help you start a successful career in the field of finance management and analysis. There are a lot of career growth opportunities and promotions. You can become the chief financial officer or CFO of the company. The median salary of the budget analyst job position is about $78,970. According to the data from bls.gov, there are more than 55,400 jobs for the position of budget analyst. 

8. Credit Analyst:

This is a job related to banks, insurance agencies, and financial institutions, credit card companies, and rating agencies. A credit analyst is responsible for checking the documents of a loan seeker and determining if he/she will be able to repay the loan or not. Apart from this, they are also responsible for creating policies that will help increase the recovery rates of their institute. Based on the credit seeker’s documents, these analysts decide if they should be given the credit or their request should be denied. You can get this job soon after your graduation. This job comes with a higher sense of job security as these institutes are well-established and award well to their performing employees.

You can start as a junior credit analyst and can reach the position of seniority, or management positions in the credit department. This is also a high-paying job and offers a median salary of $74,970. According to the data from bls.gov, as of 2019, there were 487,800 credit analyst job positions in different private firms and businesses.

9. Investment Banker:

The job of an investment banker is also similar to that of a financial advisor as they both advise their clients about investment opportunities but an investment banker only advises related to its bank’s investment plans. You can start this job soon after your bachelor’s degree in finance. Investment banking offers a lucrative career with multiple growth and promotion opportunities. Apart from assisting banks, companies, and investors, they also advise governments and help them get foreign direct investments.

To start a career as an investment banker, you need a bachelor’s in finance, but for further promotions, you may need a Master’s degree or substantial experience in your field. The median salary of investment bankers is about $64,120, meanwhile, the top 10% earners can make up to $208,000 per year. As of 2019, there were more than 464,200 job positions of investment bankers across multiple organizations and companies in the United States.

10. Financial Attorney:

You can also become a financial services lawyer after your bachelor’s degree, but you will also need to pass the Juris Doctor degree. After that, you will also have to pass the board exams to practice law as a licensed practitioner. There are multiple job positions for financial attorneys. You can start your consultant agency or law firm. You can also join other law firms and financial consultancy agencies related to finance law. This job position requires some extra degrees and passing the board tests for law. But it offers far better salaries, job security, and bonuses and can lift your career within years. You can also become a financial assistant, or manager or reach the position of CFO or CEO after promotions.

Based on the data from bls.gov, financial attorneys make $112,490 in median salaries. Meanwhile, top earners in this field can make up to $126,500, and low earners make about $90000+. The data from bls.gov also suggests that up until 2019, there were 813,900 positions of lawyers across the US. To reach higher positions in your firm, you may need further education or experience.

11. Real Estate Agent:

After completing your bachelor’s in finance, you can also become a real estate agent or a real estate investment advisor. This job role requires making sales or advising your clients about future investments into real estate. It also requires generating leads and sales for real estate firms. People with a degree in finance make better real estate investment advisors and agents as they are more capable of analyzing the value and predicting the future profits of properties. This competitive edge and knowledge help them become top earners in the field of real estate. Also, being a real estate agent is a high-paying job and you can make a lot of money in terms of commissions that you earn through sales.

According to the data from bls.gov, the median salary of real estate agents is about $51,220 per year, while the top earners can make up to $109,000. There were more than 477,200 job positions related to sales agents in 2019. To get a job as a real estate agent, you will have to complete some real estate-related courses and earn a license. It is also a very rewarding job with multiple career growth opportunities as you can become the manager or CFO of your firm.

12. Business and Finance Teacher:

If you are interested in learning and teaching, the finance degree also allows you to become a teacher and teach at schools, and colleges. To become a finance or commerce teacher at the school level, you will need a bachelor’s degree, but to teach at a higher level, you will need at least a Master’s or doctorate. You can also go towards the academic research field in finance. Finance teachers are responsible for teaching the students modern techniques and skills that are used in finance.

There is a huge number of available job positions for finance and business teachers in multiple schools, colleges, and universities. The median salary of Postsecondary Teachers is about $80,790 per year. Meanwhile, the top earners can make up to $10000. According to bls.gov, the total number of job positions in the teaching profession was more than 1,329,900. Teachers who teach at colleges make more money than the ones who teach at schools, and lecturers and professors make more than college teachers. But you need Master’s and Doctorate degrees in finance to teach at a college or university level educational institute.

13. Grant Analyst:

The job role or duties of the grand analyst are similar to that of credit analysts, but instead of rejecting or accepting credit requests, grant analysts accept or reject grants based on their documentation. This job requires on-the-job training about the policies of the specific company where you are applying for the job position. You can start after a bachelor’s degree in finance. Your job would require you to go through the paperwork of the grants and make sure that everything complies with the grant policies. If something is missing or wrong or contradicts the grant policies, you have the right to approve or disapprove a grant request.

You can also work as a grant request writer and grant request analyst on the behalf of the person or company requesting the grant. You can help them make sure that their grant is according to the policies and guidelines of the granting company or institutes. The median salary of a grant analyst is about $61,950, and earners can make up to $83,000. Grant analysts with proper education work under the direct supervision of CFOs and they are sometimes also promoted to the position of CFOs. But that requires further training, experience, and education.

14. Fintech Business Analyst:

Fintech companies are dominating the economy of the world right now. Fintech stands for financial technologies; these are the companies that transform financial methods. From banking to credit services, and online retail systems, everything is now done using fintech methodology instead of traditional models. Fintech is at the heart of this digital transformation and is providing multiple job opportunities for people with finance degrees. As a fintech business analyst your job will be to smooth the transition process, collecting data from various sources and making conclusions and predictions based on that data.

This job can also require additional duties such as customer analysis, product development, delivery, and marketing strategies to minimize the cost and expand the profits. The median salary of a fintech business analyst is about $75,869 meanwhile the top earners can make up to $100000. Fintech space is growing rapidly, hence the requirement for fintech business analysts is also growing. So, there are a lot of growth and promotion opportunities in the future.

15. Impact Investment Analyst/Managers:

The impact investment is different from the traditional investment. It is a type of investment that is done to make a small profit but to help a cause. This trend has seen a lot of growth in the past few years as more and more people are looking for impact investment funds. So, there is a lot of need for impact investment funds analysts and managers. You can get this job after a degree in finance. But it also requires some on-the-job training and further education for promotion opportunities.

As an impact fund investment analyst, or manager, your job will be to analyze the risks, profit margins, and data related to the fund. You will determine the legitimacy of a fund as an impact fund and will advise the investors to invest in that fund or not. As a manager, you will be managing the investment fund on behalf of your clients and making sure that they make profits through an impact fund investment. The median salary for an impact investment fund analyst or manager is $94,777, meanwhile the top associates, and analysts can make up to $145,000 per year.

Benefits and Salaries for Finance Related Jobs:

Job Title	Number of Jobs As Of 2019	Degree	Per Year Salary
Financial Analyst	487,800	Bachelors, Master	$83,660
Financial Manager	697,900	Bachelors, Master	$134,180
Accountant	1,436,100	Bachelors, Master	$73,560
Financial Advisor	263,000	Bachelors, Master	$89,330
Actuary	27,700	Bachelors, Master	$111,030
Investor’s relations advisor	274,600	Bachelors, Master	$59,232
Budget analyst	55,400	Bachelors, Master	$78,970
Credit analyst	13,010	Bachelors, Master	$74,970
Financial attorney	263,000	Bachelors, Master	$112,490
Real estate agent	477,200	Bachelors, Master	$51,220
Teacher	1,050,800	Bachelors, Master	$80,790
Grant analyst	55,400	Bachelors, Master	$83,000
Fintech business analyst	487,800	Bachelors, Master	$75,869
Impact investment analyst	105,100	Bachelors, Master	$94,777

Note:(Bachelors for the job and Masters for further promotion) data source bls.gov

Types of Finance Degrees:

We have learned about different career choices that students can take after a degree in finance. Now, it is time for you to learn about three different levels of degrees in finance. Similar to many other academic majors, finance also has three different degree levels, starting from bachelor, to master’s, and doctorate. You can get a job soon after a bachelor’s, but to get promoted quickly, you will need an advanced set of skills. You can get this advanced set of skills through further education in your field. So, having a Master’s degree would increase the chances of your promotion and will help you reach the CFO or chief financial officer and CEO or chief executive officer level in your organization. Here are the three types of finance degrees that you can get and what benefits for your career they will offer.

1.   Bachelors in Finance:

This is a four years college or university degree in finance. You must have passed high school before applying for university with good grades. Also, you may have to take an entry test to get admission. You can also do this degree from your local college as well. This degree can cost between $100000 to $200000. It requires completing your course work and 120 credit hours of educational training. During this degree, you will learn the basics about finance, statistics, and other related subjects and will learn about financial laws. This will provide you enough knowledge to start a career in the finance department. But to get promoted to higher positions, you will need further education.

2.   Masters in Finance:

A Master’s in Finance is the next step in the education of finance. This is a degree that helps you get promoted to the positions of the department head or CFOs, and CEO with proper experience. Master in Finance is a two years degree and requires 30 to 40 credit hours. Course work and study provides you knowledge about advanced financial practices and gives you industry-specific skills in leadership and management of finances. You can use this knowledge to handle an entire department as a head or CFO, or CEO. This can cost between $50000 to $100000 in total.

3.   Ph.D. in Finance:

A Ph.D. in Finance is the highest level of degree that you can get. Ph.D. is a requirement for many jobs that require further advancements of skills especially in the field of research, analysis, and teaching. To become a professor at a college, you will need a Ph.D. degree in finance. It can take between 4 to 8 years to complete your doctorate in finance. This degree can cost you a lot more, as it requires extensive research, a longer span of study. You may have to spend between $200000 to $400000 in total. But once you complete your doctorate, there will be endless job opportunities for you and you will be among the top earners in your field.

Requirements For a Degree in Finance:

If you are looking forward to doing a finance degree, you should know that it requires a specific set of skills and knowledge. If you do not have a keen interest in the field of finance or if you lack the required skills and knowledge, it will be difficult for you to pursue your studies. Here are some of the key requirements.

• Skills and knowledge of accounting and basic accounting principles.
• Communication skills,
• Skills in basic management,
• Skills and knowledge of statistics, and basic mathematics.
• Ability to analyze data and get conclusions.

These are a few skills that you will need to complete your degree in finance.

Conclusion:

Finance is one of the best majors for people interested in joining the business world as financial experts. Finance degrees offer you a large number of career choices starting from financial managers to the CFO and CEO level. There are three basic levels of finance degree, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate. Each level offers more advanced skills and is required for some job promotions. Finance is considered better as compared to accounting as it does not limit your career opportunities and allows you to get a job at various high-paying positions in multiple companies, organizations, and government agencies.

FAQs:

Question: Finance Vs Accounting – which one is better?

Answer: To answer this question, we need to know how these two are different degrees. Although you can become an accountant after a finance degree, still finance and accounting are two different degrees with two different purposes and sets of skills. Accounting focuses on the flow of transactions, record keeping, and reporting, meanwhile finance comes into play at the time of management, budgeting, analyzing, and planning of the finances of a company or organization. Finance is better than accounting in terms that it would not limit you to one field, as you can see from the job opportunities after a finance degree, you can pursue a career in any direction. But after an accounting degree, your career options would be limited only to the accounts division. Also, it offers better chances of promotion and reaching the top positions like CFO and CEO.

Question: What jobs can you get after a finance degree?
Answer: There is a huge list of jobs that you can get after a degree in finance. You can become a financial analyst, manager, advisor, and relations manager, auditor, attorney, actuary, teacher, and more. All of these jobs are high-paying and offer a good salary and all other benefits of the job.

Question: How much salary can you get after a finance degree?

Answer: The salary depends on the job you get. There are high-paying jobs that offer six-figure salaries and there are also jobs that provide between $50000 to $100000 per year salary with all other benefits. The top earners with finance degrees can make up to $250000 per year, meanwhile, the lowest earners can make up to $30000 per year at least.