Best-paying jobs in finance
The 21 finance occupations BLS publishes, ranked by national median pay, with the education each typically needs to enter.
The highest-paying finance occupation is Financial Manager, with a BLS national median of $166,570 a year (May 2025). 4 of the 21 finance occupations BLS publishes have a median of $100,000 or more; the best-paid one that typically needs less than a bachelor's degree is Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks ($58,260).
All 21 occupations
Data BLS OEWS May 2025 national median annual wages.
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Typical entry-level education | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Financial Managers | $166,570 | $80.08 | Bachelor's degree | 841,710 |
| 2 | Financial Risk Specialists | $117,330 | $56.41 | Bachelor's degree | 63,850 |
| 3 | Financial Advisor | $105,070 | $50.51 | Bachelor's degree | 266,800 |
| 4 | Financial Analyst | $102,740 | $49.40 | Bachelor's degree | 361,980 |
| 5 | Financial Examiners | $94,160 | $45.27 | Bachelor's degree | 67,830 |
| 6 | Budget Analyst | $91,640 | $44.06 | Bachelor's degree | 47,160 |
| 7 | Accountant | $83,680 | $40.23 | Bachelor's degree | 1,449,500 |
| 8 | Credit Analyst | $83,510 | $40.15 | Bachelor's degree | 64,390 |
| 9 | Underwriter | $81,370 | $39.12 | Bachelor's degree | 105,420 |
| 10 | Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | $78,660 | $37.82 | Bachelor's degree | 489,570 |
| 11 | Loan Officer | $76,690 | $36.87 | Bachelor's degree | 274,330 |
| 12 | Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents | $62,370 | $29.98 | Bachelor's degree | 56,610 |
| 13 | Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks | $58,260 | $28.01 | High school diploma | 153,140 |
| 14 | Tax Preparer | $54,920 | $26.40 | High school diploma | 76,480 |
| 15 | Credit Counselors | $52,230 | $25.11 | Bachelor's degree | 27,770 |
| 16 | Bookkeeper | $50,670 | $24.36 | Some college | 1,373,680 |
| 17 | Procurement Clerks | $50,580 | $24.32 | High school diploma | 55,810 |
| 18 | Billing and Posting Clerks | $48,500 | $23.32 | High school diploma | 404,060 |
| 19 | Bill and Account Collectors | $47,030 | $22.61 | High school diploma | 158,830 |
| 20 | Bank Teller | $43,030 | $20.69 | High school diploma | 329,480 |
| 21 | Gambling Cage Workers | $37,580 | $18.07 | High school diploma | 14,430 |
Best-paid finance jobs that typically need less than a bachelor’s degree
Data Typical entry-level education from BLS Employment Projections: no formal credential, high school, some college, a postsecondary certificate or an associate degree.
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Typical entry-level education | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks | $58,260 | High school diploma | 153,140 |
| 2 | Tax Preparer | $54,920 | High school diploma | 76,480 |
| 3 | Bookkeeper | $50,670 | Some college | 1,373,680 |
| 4 | Procurement Clerks | $50,580 | High school diploma | 55,810 |
| 5 | Billing and Posting Clerks | $48,500 | High school diploma | 404,060 |
| 6 | Bill and Account Collectors | $47,030 | High school diploma | 158,830 |
| 7 | Bank Teller | $43,030 | High school diploma | 329,480 |
| 8 | Gambling Cage Workers | $37,580 | High school diploma | 14,430 |
Pay versus size
Data The largest finance occupation by employment is Accountant (1,449,500 employed, median $83,680). The median of the 21 occupation medians is not a BLS figure and is not shown; each row is the occupation's own BLS median.
How this page is built
Occupations in BLS financial specialists (SOC 13-2000), financial and investment managers (11-3031), securities, commodities and financial services sales agents (41-3031) and financial clerks (43-3000), ranked by BLS national median annual wage (OEWS May 2025); BLS residual “all other” categories are left out. Education is the BLS typical entry-level education, not a legal requirement.
- Pay at a specific employer or in your state.
- Starting pay: medians include experienced workers.
- Which job fits your goals: pay is one factor among many.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025–35 (released Aug 27, 2026; public domain): typical entry-level education, work experience, on-the-job training, projected change and annual openings.