For detail-oriented individuals who enjoy solving complex problems, analyzing data, and managing money, a finance degree can be an excellent path that opens up opportunities into diverse career paths. Before you decide to enroll in a finance degree program, however, it's a good idea to do your due diligence. Part of this means researching potential career paths, salary expectations, and future demand for finance professionals in the workforce.
What Is a Finance Degree?
A bachelor's degree in finance is an undergraduate degree that's designed to be completed in about four years. Furthermore, while the exact coursework can vary from one program to the next, most finance programs cover such relevant topics as money management, financial markets, investment strategy, and risk management with foundational coursework in:
- Economics
- Statistics
- Business law
- Accounting
Finance degrees may be offered on a physical campus, online, or a combination of both (hybrid), so students can choose the learning format that best suits their needs. For busy students who want to avoid the hassle of a physical commute to campus or strict class meeting times, for example, an online bachelor's degree in finance offers unrivaled flexibility and convenience.
What Will You Study in a Finance Degree Program?
In simplest terms, an undergraduate finance degree program teaches students how to responsibly manage money, analyze financial data, and evaluate risk. While specific curriculum requirements may vary from one program to the next, a typical 120-credit bachelor's in finance program will consist of a combination of general education courses and professional courses in subject areas such as:
- Accounting
- Corporate finance
- Economics
- Investments
- Risk management
- Statistics and data analysis
- Business ethics
- Financial planning
Ultimately, the primary outcome of a finance degree program is to empower graduates with the skills and knowledge they need to apply financial principles to their future work, utilize emerging financial technology with confidence, and support financial decision-making that drives organizational growth.
Is a Finance Degree Worth It for Your Career?
There's no one-size-fits-all answer to the question, "is a finance degree right for me?"
That's because everybody has unique career goals, interests, and strengths. However, if you're genuinely interested in career opportunities in finance, an undergraduate degree is often worth the up-front investment because it:
- Can lead to above-average salary/earning potential.
- Comes with strong projected job growth.
- Offers broad employer variety across different industries, ranging from banking and corporate roles to government and nonprofit positions.
While specific outcomes depend on many factors (including role, location, and level of experience), the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook reports that "overall employment in business and financial occupations is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2024 to 2034," and that "the median annual wage for this group was [...] much higher than the median annual wage for all occupations."
What Jobs Can You Get With a Finance Degree?
While a degree in finance alone doesn't guarantee that you'll land a specific job in the field, there are many potential career paths available to finance graduates across numerous industries, as many finance skills are readily adaptable and transfer seamlessly across sectors.
Below is just a sampling of some of the most common roles finance graduates may find themselves in as they begin their careers.
Financial Analyst
Financial analysts are responsible for helping businesses and individuals make sound decisions about their money and investments. Their everyday duties may range from making tailored investment recommendations to studying economic trends and meeting with organizational decision-makers.
Job outlook: According to the BLS, employment of financial analysts is projected to grow 6% between 2024 and 2034.
Median salary: According to the BLS, the median annual wage for financial analysts was $101,350 in 2024.
Financial Manager
Meanwhile, financial managers are professionals who direct investment activities and aid in the long-term strategic planning for businesses and organizations of all sizes. These professionals handle everything from preparing financial statements and forecasts to exploring ways to streamline spending and helping management teams make critical decisions related to finances.
Job outlook: The BLS projects a 15% growth in employment of financial managers between 2024 and 2034.
Median salary: The median annual wage for financial managers was $161,700 in 2024, according to BLS data.
Personal Financial Advisor
Rather than working with businesses, personal financial advisors work directly with individuals to help them better manage their money. Common responsibilities of a personal financial advisor include making investment recommendations to clients, helping clients plan for their future retirement, and monitoring client accounts to inform long-term decision-making.
Job outlook: Employment of personal financial advisors is expected to grow 10% between 2024 and 2034, according to the BLS.
Median salary: The median annual wage for personal financial advisors was $102,140 in 2024, according to the BLS.
Other Career Paths
Of course, the above is by no means a comprehensive list of all career opportunities for finance degree graduates. Some other potential options that may be worth exploring (depending on your interests) include:
- Credit analyst
- Loan officer
- Budget analyst
- Accountant/auditor
- Financial examiner
How Much Can You Earn With a Finance Degree?
There are many factors that could affect your earnings as a finance degree graduate, ranging from your level of experience to your location and specific role. However, according to BLS data, the median annual wage for all business and financial occupations was $80,820 in May 2024 — which is well above the median salary of $49,500 for all occupations in the United States.
Of course, salary expectations can also vary depending on whether the role is an entry-level, mid-level, or senior-level position. For financial analysts, for example, the median annual wage is $101,350 — but the lowest 10% in this category earned less than $62,270 per year, whereas the highest 10% of earners made more than $182,310 in the same period.
Is the Job Market Good for Finance Graduates?
If current projections are accurate, now is a great time to get into the finance industry — especially when you consider that the BLS projects more than 942,000 job openings per year in business and financial occupations from 2024 through 2034 — which is faster growth than the average for all occupations in the United States.
This projected demand also spans multiple sectors, so finance graduates may have ample opportunities not just in corporate finance, but in government and nonprofit roles as well.
What Skills Does a Finance Degree Build?
Students in an undergraduate finance degree program can expect to build a combination of both hard skills and core competencies that meet the demands of today's dynamic workforce.
In terms of technical skills, finance students explore coursework that's designed to develop:
- Data analysis skills
- Quantitative reasoning
- Understanding of investment strategy
- Risk assessment skills
- Financial modeling competencies
- Written and verbal communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
These competencies have become increasingly important in the finance industry, as recent NACE research has consistently found that analytical and quantitative skills rank as top priorities for entry-level candidates. More specifically, this research has found that "more than two-thirds [of employers] seek verbal communication skills, flexibility/adaptability and analytical/quantitative skills in the candidates they recruit."
And for finance professionals looking to further differentiate and specialize, graduates may be eligible to sit for post-degree certification exams. Some examples of popular post-degree certifications in finance include:
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
- Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
- Financial Risk Manager (FRM)
Is a Finance Degree Hard?
While it's true that finance programs can be math-intensive and require comfort with such complex topics as quantitative analysis, statistics, and economics — they're also designed to be as accessible as possible to students. In other words, as long as you stay motivated and are prepared to put in the work, getting through a finance degree program might be challenging, but it's far from impossible.
In both school and your future finance career, maintaining a sense of work-life balance is critical to long-term sustainability and well-being. There are some high-pressure roles in finance (such as those in investment banking) that may involve demanding hours and high-stress situations, but the good news is that the majority of financial careers operate on far more "standard" schedules.
In other words, yes, you can expect to put in the work as a finance student and a future finance professional. However, many roles support a healthy work-life balance with traditional hours, weekends off, and other perks.
Take the Next Step Toward a Finance Career
Whether you end up in a corporate, government, or nonprofit role, working in finance can be an intellectually stimulating and rewarding career path that's ripe with opportunities for advancement and specialization.
It all begins, of course, with a strong foundation laid by a formal education. Specifically, Champlain College Online (CCO) is proud to offer a Bachelor's in Finance program that's designed to be completed in just over three years with convenient and flexible online classes. Get in touch with an admissions advisor to learn more about what this program has to offer, or fill out your application now to get the ball rolling before our next term begins.
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