Is finance a successful major?
The short, simple answer is: Yes, finance is still a good career path, but it will probably not be as good relative to other careers as it has been over the past few decades. If you are at a top university or business school, have the qualifications, and start early, that's fine.
Having a high salary is very common if you work in the finance field, even for some entry-level finance positions. For instance, the average salary of a financial analyst is somewhere around $100,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
How satisfied are finance students compared to other degrees? Overall, finance students rate their satisfaction with their degree a 3.1 out of 5. This is low compared to other degrees which average a rating of 3.28 across all degrees.
Landing a finance job with just a bachelor's degree is highly competitive but it isn't impossible.
Work for a wide range of employers.
A minimum of a bachelor's degree is required for nearly all finance professions. Whether you want to work on Wall Street, for the SEC, or a financial planning consultancy, a finance degree will give you the foundational knowledge you need to start your career.
Salaries in the finance industry
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statics (BLS), careers in finance pay a median salary of $76,850 — 66% higher than the median salary for all occupations in the nation ($46,310).
A finance degree can open doors to a broad range of dynamic professional opportunities — often with high earning potential in diverse industries. Finance majors learn fundamental business skills that can translate to careers in a variety of organizations in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
The short, simple answer is: Yes, finance is still a good career path, but it will probably not be as good relative to other careers as it has been over the past few decades. If you are at a top university or business school, have the qualifications, and start early, that's fine.
Financial Manager Positions
These financial management positions include controllers, treasurers, credit managers, cash managers, risk managers and insurance managers. Since each of these positions requires strong analytical skills along with the ability to work independently, introverts tend to make ideal candidates.
No surprise, majoring in engineering and finance yields the biggest paydays five years after graduating college, while majoring in liberal arts or performing arts pays the least.
Is finance major a lot of math?
Some of the main math-related skills that the financial industry requires are: mental arithmetic (“fast math”), algebra, trigonometry, and statistics and probability. A basic understanding of these skills should be good enough and can qualify you for most finance jobs.
OCCUPATION | 2022 MEDIAN PAY | PERCENTAGE INCREASE OVER NATIONAL MEDIAN |
---|---|---|
General Internal Medicine Physicians | $214,460 | 363.10% |
Dentists, All Other Specialists | $212,740 | 359.40% |
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $211,790 | 357.30% |
Family Medicine Physicians | $211,300 | 356.30% |
A finance degree is a valuable asset to any career. With a bachelor's, you can apply for various roles, including financial analyst, accountant, financial advisor, auditor, or treasury analyst. You could also pursue a career in investment banking or stockbroking within the banking industry.
High earning potential: Many jobs in finance offer high salaries and growth potential, making it a lucrative career choice. Diverse career opportunities: With a finance degree, you can work in various roles and industries, from investment banking to risk management to financial planning.
People who choose to major in finance are interested in numbers, financial markets, and finding ways to make money. They tend to be natural problem-solvers who like setting goals and researching ways to reach them.
Studying finance can still be a viable option even if you are not exceptionally strong in mathematics. While finance does involve mathematical concepts, not all finance roles require advanced math skills, and there are various areas within finance where you can excel with different skill sets.
#1- Accounting and Finance
These majors qualify for STEM-designation due to their heavy use of math.
- Finance.
- Accounting.
- Business administration/management.
- Logistics/supply chain.
- Management information systems.
- Marketing.
While both finance and accounting can be difficult majors, accounting is considered more difficult because it requires more discipline and a lot of math. Accounting is more complex because it relies on precise sets of arithmetic principles.
- You have stellar communication skills. Financial discussions can get complicated. ...
- You take initiative. ...
- You're inquisitive. ...
- You work hard. ...
- You have high emotional intelligence (EQ) ...
- You love to learn. ...
- You persist. ...
- You're a natural problem solver.
Is finance a good major in 2024?
While the financial industry is traditionally associated with high wage earners, making it into the top three paying industries of 2024, there are 10 specific finance careers or jobs that hold significant salary potential and are showing promising signs of growth and industry demand.
A finance degree might be more suitable if you are interested in managing investments, financial planning, or business finance. An economics degree might be more appropriate if you are engaged in economic research, policy analysis, or public service. Ultimately, the decision is yours.
They can include high stress, big responsibility, long working hours, continuing education requirements, and, in some cases, a lack of job security—the finance industry is generally quite cyclical.
Compared to marketing roles, finance professionals often enjoy higher starting salaries, significant bonuses, and robust compensation packages, especially in high-stakes areas like investment banking and asset management.
- Most stressful job in finance : Investment Banker (M&A or capital markets professional) ...
- Second most stressful job in finance : Trader. ...
- Third most stressful job in finance : Risk management & Compliance.