Highest Paying Jobs in Finance: Official Pay

The highest paying jobs in finance are financial managers, with a US median of $166,570 in 2025 (BLS) and a UK median of £76,447 for full-time financial managers and directors (ONS). Actuaries ($130,000), personal financial advisors ($105,070) and financial analysts ($103,570) follow in the US. Most need a degree; actuaries also pass exams.

Key facts

• US financial managers had a median pay of $166,570 in 2025, with employment projected to grow 10 percent from 2025 to 2035. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Financial Managers, Aug 2026)
• US actuaries had a median pay of $130,000 in 2025, with 9 percent projected growth to 2035. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Actuaries, Aug 2026)
• US financial analysts had a median pay of $103,570 in 2025, with about 443,100 jobs and 7 percent projected growth. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Financial Analysts, Aug 2026)
• US personal financial advisors had a median pay of $105,070 in 2025. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Personal Financial Advisors, Aug 2026)
• In the UK, full-time financial managers and directors had median gross annual pay of £76,447 in April 2025 (provisional), against a UK full-time median of £39,039. (Office for National Statistics, ASHE Table 14.7a (provisional 2025), Oct 2025)
• Median gross annual earnings for full-time employees in the UK were £39,039 in April 2025. (Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025, Oct 2025)

Finance is one of the best paid fields you can enter with a degree. But the highest paying jobs in finance are not only on trading floors. Official data shows that managers, actuaries, analysts and advisers all earn well above the national median, and several of these roles are growing faster than average.

This guide uses two official sources. For the US, it uses the 2025 median pay and 2025 to 2035 projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For the UK, it uses the provisional April 2025 results of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings from the Office for National Statistics, for full-time employees. The US median for all jobs was $50,980 in 2025, and the UK full-time median was £39,039.

Finance highest paying jobs in the US

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook occupation profiles, 2025 median pay and 2025 to 2035 projections.

Top executives, a group that includes chief financial officers and other senior leaders, had a median of $108,780, but that figure covers all top executives, including general and operations managers, so the pay of senior finance leaders at large firms is often much higher than the group median.

Highest paying jobs in finance in the UK

Source: Office for National Statistics, ASHE Table 14.7a, provisional April 2025 results, full-time employees. Medians cover all employees in each group, including those early in their careers.

UK figures are in pounds and US figures in dollars, so do not compare them directly. Both show the same pattern: managers earn the most, followed by specialists such as actuaries, analysts and brokers.

What each top role does

Financial managers

They run the finances of an organisation: reports, budgets, cash, investments and plans. Titles include finance director, controller, treasurer and chief financial officer. The BLS lists a bachelor's degree and five or more years of experience as the usual entry route. Growth is projected at 10 percent, which is much faster than average.

Actuaries

Actuaries measure risk, mainly for insurers and pension funds. They use maths, statistics and models to price policies and plan for future claims. Most have a degree in maths, statistics or a related subject and pass a series of professional exams while working. Pay is high and growth is projected at 9 percent.

Financial analysts

Analysts study companies, markets and investments and advise on where to put money. Some work for banks and investment firms, others inside companies. A bachelor's degree is the usual entry route, and many take professional qualifications later.

Personal financial advisors

Advisers help people plan for retirement, savings, tax and insurance. Pay often depends on the number of clients and the money they manage, so it varies a lot. Licences and registration are usually required.

Accountants and auditors

Accountants prepare and check financial records and tax returns; auditors test that records are accurate and follow the rules. With about 1.6 million jobs in the US, it is the largest group in this guide. A professional qualification such as CPA in the US or a chartered qualification in the UK often leads to higher pay and senior roles.

Which finance roles are growing

• Operations research analysts: +12 percent, using data and models to improve decisions.
• Financial managers: +10 percent.
• Management analysts: +10 percent, advising organisations on how to work better.
• Mathematicians and statisticians: +10 percent.
• Actuaries and financial examiners: +9 percent each.

Some roles are expected to shrink, including insurance underwriters (-4 percent). Routine work in those jobs is increasingly done by software, so openings will come mostly from retirements.

Where finance careers start

Few people start at the top. Most begin in a role that teaches them how money moves through a business. Common first jobs include accounts assistant, junior analyst, audit associate, credit analyst, claims or underwriting trainee, and finance graduate trainee. These roles pay less, but they build the base for every top job in this guide.

Here is how the paths often run. An audit associate can become an auditor, then a finance manager. A junior analyst can become a senior analyst, then lead a team or move into investment roles. An actuarial trainee passes exams over several years and becomes a qualified actuary. An accounts assistant can study for a professional qualification and move into management accounting. Each step usually takes two to four years, and each one adds pay.

Pay beyond the base salary

The official figures above show base wages. In finance, other pay can matter a lot. Bonuses are common in banking, investment and sales roles, and they can rise and fall with results. Some firms add profit sharing or shares. Advisers may earn fees or commission. Many employers also pay for professional exams and study time. When you compare offers, look at the whole package and ask how bonuses are set. A slightly lower salary with strong training and paid exams can be worth more over a career.

A day in two top roles

A financial analyst might start the day by checking market news and company results. Then comes building or updating a model in a spreadsheet, writing a short note for a manager, and joining a call to discuss a decision. Deadlines are common at month end and when results come out.

An actuary might spend the morning testing a pricing model, checking data quality and running scenarios. The afternoon could include a meeting with underwriters to explain the risk in a new product. Exam study often fits around work in the early years. The work is careful and detailed, and the hours are usually steady.

Finance and technology

Technology is changing finance fast. Software now handles much routine bookkeeping, matching and reporting. That is one reason some clerical finance roles are shrinking. At the same time, demand is growing for people who can work with data, build models and explain results. Analysts who can write simple code, clean data and build clear dashboards stand out. If you are early in your career, learning these skills is one of the best ways to raise your pay.

Is finance right for you?

Finance suits people who like numbers, enjoy solving problems and can stay accurate under pressure. You also need to explain your work to people who are not experts. Ethics matter a great deal, because finance is regulated and trust is hard to win back. If you like steady progress, the qualification routes in accounting and actuarial work give a clear ladder. If you like fast change and are comfortable with risk, investment and trading roles may suit you better.

Studying for a finance career

Most finance roles need a degree. Accounting, finance, economics, maths and statistics are common, but many employers also hire graduates from other subjects and train them. After you start work, a professional qualification often matters more than your degree subject. Check which qualification is valued in your country and track before you choose. Many employers pay for exams, so ask about study support when you apply.

Skills that raise your pay in finance

• Data and spreadsheet skills. Modelling, analysis and clear charts are used in almost every finance role.
• Programming basics. Languages used for data analysis are increasingly expected for analyst and actuarial roles.
• Professional qualifications. Accounting, actuarial and investment qualifications are often linked to promotions.
• Communication. Explaining numbers simply to managers and clients is what moves people into senior roles.
• Rules and ethics. Finance is regulated, and trust is everything.

How to move into a top finance job

1. Choose a track. Accounting, analysis, risk, advice or management each have different qualifications.
2. Start where you can learn fast. Graduate schemes, audit firms and analyst programmes give strong early training.
3. Add a professional qualification that employers in your track ask for.
4. Take on budgets and people. Managing a budget or a small team is the usual step toward financial manager roles.
5. Use data in salary talks. Compare official medians with real job adverts before you negotiate.

Finance roles in plain words

Finance has many job titles, and they can be confusing. Here is a simple guide.

• Accountant: keeps the books, makes reports and handles tax.
• Auditor: checks that the books are right and follow the rules.
• Analyst: studies numbers to help people make good choices.
• Actuary: works out risk and prices it, mostly for insurance and pensions.
• Adviser: helps people plan their money for the future.
• Underwriter: decides if a risk is worth taking on and at what price.
• Loan officer: checks if a person or firm can borrow and repay.
• Finance manager: leads a team and runs the money side of a business.

Common mistakes on the way up

• Chasing the top title too soon, before you have the skills to do it well.
• Putting off a professional qualification for years.
• Ignoring data skills. They are now part of almost every role.
• Staying in one narrow task for too long. Ask for new work.
• Looking only at salary and not at training, bonus rules and growth.
• Not building a network. Many good roles are filled through people you know.

Tips for your finance CV

Keep it to one or two pages. Put your degree, your qualifications and your exam progress near the top. Show results with numbers where you can. For example, say how much time a new report saved or how many accounts you handled. List the tools you use, such as spreadsheets and data tools. Use the words from the job ad. Check every number twice. In finance, a mistake on your CV sends the wrong message.

Interview tips

Expect two kinds of questions. Some test what you know, such as how to read a set of accounts or how to value a business. Others test how you work, such as how you handle a deadline or explain a hard idea. Practise both. Read the firm's latest results before the interview and have one or two questions about them. Be honest when you do not know something, and explain how you would find the answer. Employers trust people who are careful and clear.

Checklist before you choose a finance path

• I know which track I want: accounting, analysis, risk, advice or management.
• I know the qualification employers in that track ask for.
• I have checked official pay and real job ads in my country.
• I know how long the path takes and what it costs.
• I have a plan to build data skills.
• I have talked to at least one person who does the job.

Finance jobs around the world

Finance skills travel well. Every country needs accountants, analysts and finance managers, and big financial centres hire people from many countries. But rules differ. Accounting and audit work often needs a local qualification or a way to have yours recognised. Advice and investment roles usually need local licences. Analyst and data roles are often the easiest to move between countries, because the skills are the same everywhere. If you want to work abroad, check the official rules for your field in the country you want, and look for employers that say they sponsor visas.

Pay also differs a lot between countries, so compare official data for each place rather than converting one country's figures. Living costs matter too. A higher salary in an expensive city may leave you with less than a lower one somewhere cheaper. Use the country salary calculator below to compare.

Example: from accounts assistant to finance manager

This example was written for this guide and is not about a real person. Lina joined a logistics firm as an accounts assistant after her degree. She learned how invoices, payments and month end close worked. In her second year she started a professional accounting qualification, which her employer paid for. She volunteered to build a new monthly cost report and learned to use data tools to automate it. After qualifying, she became a management accountant, then took over a small team. Eight years after starting, she was promoted to finance manager.

Her story shows the usual pattern in finance. Pay grows step by step with skills, qualifications and the trust you build. Few people jump straight to the top, but a clear plan makes each step faster.

Write your own plan the same way: today's role, the next step and the skill that gets you there.

Live on Dev Global Jobs

Right now there are 112,708 open jobs on Dev Global Jobs (live count, 8 November 2026). Browse business and finance jobs, compare pay in different countries with the country salary calculator, and build a finance CV in the CV builder.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Financial Managers, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 3 October 2026.
2. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Actuaries, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 3 October 2026.
3. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Financial Analysts, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 3 October 2026.
4. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Personal Financial Advisors, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 3 October 2026.
5. Occupation (4 digit SOC): ASHE Table 14, Office for National Statistics. Accessed 3 October 2026.
6. Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025, Office for National Statistics. Accessed 3 October 2026.

Source: Dev Global Jobs, updated 8 November 2026.