Is a major in finance worth it?
You can expect a stable income and many job opportunities in the industry of your choice. Having a career in finance can be both fun and beneficial. The benefits of a finance degree are numerous, be that the high salary that comes with it, the academic growth, and a high number of career advancement opportunities.
For many professionals, a bachelor's degree in finance is worth it because it is the starting point for a successful and lifelong career. By analyzing data, studying financial markets, and assessing risks, finance professionals help individuals and organizations stay within their budgets and earn competitive salaries.
Finance degrees are generally considered to be challenging. In a program like this, students gain exposure to new concepts, from financial lingo to mathematical problems, so there can be a learning curve.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $133,726 and as low as $24,673, the majority of salaries within the Finance Degree jobs category currently range between $74,000 (25th percentile) to $107,600 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $133,232 annually in California.
The median annual wage for business and financial occupations is $46,310 higher than the median annual wage for all occupations. Drawbacks of a career in finance can include high stress, long working hours, continuing education requirements, and, in some cases, limited job stability.
- Financial analyst. A financial analyst — sometimes called a business analyst — uses financial data to guide business decisions. ...
- Personal financial adviser. ...
- Accountant. ...
- Loan officer. ...
- Insurance sales agent. ...
- Budget analyst. ...
- Auditor. ...
- Tax specialist.
Believe it or not, mastery of advanced math skills is not necessary to have a career in finance. With today's technology, all math-related tasks can be done by computers and calculators. That said, there are some basic math skills that would certainly make you a better candidate in the finance industry.
As of Mar 17, 2024, the average annual pay for the Finance jobs category in California is $86,978 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $41.82 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,672/week or $7,248/month.
- Anthropology.
- Business Administration.
- Communications.
- Creative Writing.
- Criminal Justice.
- Education.
- English.
- Health Sciences.
As a finance degree heavily depends on financial analysis and modeling, students may find the material more difficult if they struggle with mathematical concepts. However, students seeking an economics degree might have difficulty understanding abstract ideas like economic theory and policy analysis.
Can you make 6 figures with a finance degree?
Yes, sure you can make around six figures at some of these fortune 500 corporate finance role or be an investment banking analyst making close to $200K a year just a year out of undergrad, but that's not where the real money is made in finance.
Finance degree jobs can provide relatively high pay, stability, opportunities for advancement and consistent demand projections. Careers in finance may also offer flexibility for employees by allowing them to work remotely or in hybrid environments.
There is a reason people in finance who work in private equity or a hedge fund make millions. These industries make money by investing in companies, and after a certain level you get an equity stake in the profits of the firm through carried interest.
Other majors that graduates are less likely to regret include quantitative fields, such as engineering, health care, business, and finance. On the other hand, the most-regretted majors are journalism, followed by sociology, and liberal arts.
Coursework typically includes portfolio analysis, investment management and financial management. An MBA in Finance program may be a great fit for introverts who seek career opportunities in financial planning, international banking, or investment banking.
Finance professionals deal with aspects such as return on investment (ROI) and risk management, and accountants focus on items such as balance sheets and income statements. The field of finance offers more career choices but also less predictability. In some cases, careers in finance might offer higher pay.
The highest-paid salary jobs in finance include roles such as investment banking professionals, hedge fund managers, private equity associates, chief financial officers (CFOs), and actuaries.
The job market for a finance major is favorable, with average growth expected in the sector through 2030. The US Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) anticipates the industry will add more than 750,000 jobs during that period [1]. Part of this demand is the result of the evolving and highly-regulated world of finance.
As long as investment banks remain gatekeepers to the market for companies (and capital markets), they will be able to extract high fees, and use those high fees to pay high salaries and bonuses.
- Accounting. The accounting major has been around at most colleges since the beginning, and it is designed to teach students how to manage a business's finances so they can solve various business problems. ...
- Management Science. ...
- Finance. ...
- Entrepreneurial Studies.
Is it hard to get a job in finance?
You don't need an MBA to work in finance, but the field is highly competitive, especially at the entry-level. Internships offer experience, exposure, and a tryout for a full-time gig.
#1- Accounting and Finance
These majors qualify for STEM-designation due to their heavy use of math. Here is a list of some of the STEM-designated Accounting and Finance programs in leading U.S colleges and universities.
Is Finance a Hard Major? Finance is a somewhat difficult major. The difficulty with finance comes down to its concepts that students would not have experienced before in their lives, the financial lingo in the field, and the concentration of math in the subject.
Based on the data provided by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). In 2023, the median starting finance major salary was $61,456. On the other hand, the median starting accounting major salary was $53,444. The same can also be said of finance and accounting master's degrees.
- 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.