Financial Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate accounting, investing, banking, insurance, securities, and other financial activities of a branch, office, or department of an establishment.
Also called: Accountant Supervisor, Accounting Director, Accounting Manager, Accounting Supervisor, Accounts Manager, Accounts Payable Manager
Median pay
$166,570
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$94,310 – $323,270
People employed
841,710
Holland code
ECS
Enterprising · Conventional · Social
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you want a job with little physical risk?
- 2.Are you OK repeating the same tasks most of the day?
- 3.Do you want the same hours every week?
- 4.Do you work well under tight deadlines?
- 5.Are you OK working more than 40 hours a week?
- 6.Are you comfortable sitting at a desk most of the day?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
Financial Managers pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (50 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What financial managers do
- 01Establish procedures for custody or control of assets, records, loan collateral, or securities to ensure safekeeping.
- 02Establish and maintain relationships with individual or business customers or provide assistance with problems these customers may encounter.
- 03Communicate with stockholders or other investors to provide information or to raise capital.
- 04Oversee the flow of cash or financial instruments.
- 05Develop or analyze information to assess the current or future financial status of firms.
- 06Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of workers in branches, offices, or departments of establishments, such as branch banks, brokerage firms, risk and insurance departments, or credit departments.
Skills that matter most
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Monitoring
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- Economics and Accounting
- Mathematics
- Administrative
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Cautiousness
- Achievement Orientation
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a bachelor's degree (O*NET Job Zone 4).
- Related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years.
- On-the-job training: over 3 months, up to and including 6 months.
- A certification can help.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from financial managers
- Sales Managers83% · −11%
- Marketing Managers80% · 0%
- Public Relations Managers78% · −12%
- Compliance Managers78% · group pay
- Chief Executives78% · +28%
Change into financial managers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Accountants and Auditors92% · $83,680
- Fundraising Managers91% · $125,470
- Loan Officers90% · $76,690
- Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents89% · $78,660
- Budget Analysts88% · $91,640
Majors that lead here
- Accounting and Computer Science
- Financial Analytics
- Risk Management
- Accounting and Finance
- Accounting and Business/Management
- Finance, General
- International Finance
- Public Finance
- Credit Management
- Financial Risk Management
- Finance and Financial Management Services, Other
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.