SOC 11-3031.00Bright outlook

    Financial Managers

    Plan, direct, or coordinate accounting, investing, banking, insurance, securities, and other financial activities of a branch, office, or department of an establishment.

    Median pay
    $166,570
    Growth
    +9.7%
    Much faster than average
    Openings a year
    65,600
    Typical education
    Bachelor's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $94,310
    Median
    $166,570
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $323,270
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    841,710 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Financial managers oversee the financial operations, investing, and accounting activities for branches or departments of an organization. This high-level management career offers a median annual pay of $166,570.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What financial managers do

    Job Zone 4: Considerable preparation

    Plan, direct, or coordinate accounting, investing, banking, insurance, securities, and other financial activities of a branch, office, or department of an establishment.

    Most need a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.

    What the work is like

    Financial managers spend their days planning and directing financial activities, which include banking, insurance, and accounting. They gather and process information, evaluate data to ensure compliance with standards, and use computers to solve complex problems. Strong leadership and interpersonal skills are essential, as these managers must guide, motivate, and develop their staff while maintaining positive relationships with supervisors and peers.

    This career appeals to individuals with enterprising interests who enjoy organizing and prioritizing work. Success in this role requires a deep knowledge of economics, accounting, administration, and mathematics, alongside customer service and personnel management. Key work styles include integrity, attention to detail, dependability, and cautiousness. Daily tasks demand active listening, critical thinking, and clear communication to make sound judgments and decisions.

    How to get there

    Entering this career typically requires a bachelor's degree along with several years of related work experience. Students often prepare by majoring in finance and financial management services, accounting and related services, business administration, accounting and computer science, or data analytics.

    While specific requirements vary, some states list licensing for this profession. Professionals can also pursue certifications to demonstrate specialized expertise. Examples of these credentials include the Certified Finance Leader, Associate in Risk Management, Associate in Risk Management for Public Entities, Agribusiness and Farm Insurance Specialist, Associate Certified Information Systems Examiner, and Certified Examiner-In-Charge.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for financial managers is $166,570. Earnings vary based on experience and industry, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $94,310 and the highest 10 percent earning more than $323,270.

    With 841,710 people currently employed in this field, the profession is growing much faster than average. Employment is projected to increase by 9.7% from 2025 to 2035, resulting in an estimated 65,600 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    6 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    24 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    10 / 100
    Social (S)
    34 / 100
    Enterprising (E) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    76 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code ECS. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Working with Computers
    84
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    83
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    82
    Processing Information
    82
    Getting Information
    81
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    81
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    81
    Coaching and Developing Others
    79
    Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
    77
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    77
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Critical Thinking
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Speaking
    • Monitoring
    • Writing
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Coordination
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Management of Personnel Resources

    Knowledge

    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Administration and Management
    • Economics and Accounting
    • Mathematics
    • Administrative
    • Law and Government
    • Personnel and Human Resources
    • Sales and Marketing
    • English Language
    • Education and Training

    Abilities

    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Written Comprehension
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Speech Clarity
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Written Expression
    • Information Ordering
    • Near Vision

    Work styles

    • Integrity
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Leadership Orientation
    • Cautiousness
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Social Orientation
    • Self-Confidence
    • Self-Control
    • Perseverance

    Also called

    Accountant Supervisor · Accounting Director · Accounting Manager · Accounting Supervisor · Accounts Manager · Accounts Payable Manager · Accounts Supervisor · Actuarial Manager · Asset Manager · ATM Manager (Automated Teller Machine Manager)

    Career pathway

    From your interests to financial managers

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Financial Managers$166,570 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Washington University in St Louis WUSTL logo
      Washington University in St Louis WUSTL

      Saint Louis, MO · Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $108,590
      4 yrs after
      $185,551
      Median debt
      $20,750
    2. 2Carnegie Mellon University logo
      Carnegie Mellon University

      Pittsburgh, PA · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $97,419
      4 yrs after
      $160,783
      Median debt
      $19,000
    3. 3University of Notre Dame-South Bend IN logo
      University of Notre Dame-South Bend IN

      Notre Dame, IN · Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $141,543
      4 yrs after
      $160,313
      Median debt
      $19,500
    4. 4Georgetown University-DC logo
      Georgetown University-DC

      Washington, DC · Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $126,622
      4 yrs after
      $152,744
      Median debt
      $13,088
    5. 5Boston College logo
      Boston College

      Chestnut Hill, MA · Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $92,127
      4 yrs after
      $147,746
      Median debt
      $18,650
    6. 6Wake Forest University logo
      Wake Forest University

      Winston-Salem, NC · Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $116,242
      4 yrs after
      $145,996
      Median debt
      $19,500
    7. 7University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Main Campus logo
      University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Main Campus

      Ann Arbor, MI · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $96,806
      4 yrs after
      $144,654
      Median debt
      $19,500
    8. 8University of California-Berkeley CAL logo
      University of California-Berkeley CAL

      Berkeley, CA · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $94,811
      4 yrs after
      $144,599
      Median debt
      $10,656

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What financial managers may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work. Showing 12 of 16.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Accounting and Business/Management
    • Accounting and Computer Science
    • Accounting and Finance
    • Credit Management
    • Finance and Financial Management Services, Other
    • Finance, General
    • Financial Analytics
    • Financial Risk Management
    • International Finance
    • Public Finance
    • Risk Management

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    14 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Federal

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about financial managers

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some common job titles for this career?

    People in this field are known by many names, including Accounting Manager, Asset Manager, Accounts Payable Manager, Actuarial Manager, and ATM Manager.

    What college majors are recommended for financial managers?

    Recommended majors include Finance and Financial Management Services, Accounting and Related Services, Business Administration, Management and Operations, Data Analytics, and Accounting and Computer Science.

    What is the job outlook for this profession?

    The field is projected to grow 9.7% from 2025 to 2035, which is much faster than average. This growth is expected to generate 65,600 job openings each year.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.