The field of finance holds excellent career potential, especially for those who have valuable on-the-job experience and relevant education.
Even though hundreds of roles are available in the financing world, a few jobs are in high demand and open doorways to climb the corporate ladder much faster.
As a finance manager, you can enter the world of banking or settle for giving other people critical pieces of financial advice.
So, are you ready to work your way towards a handsome, paying career in finance? Let’s find out which top jobs made today’s list.
1) Insurance agent
An insurance agent is typically employed in the finance agency, insurance department of a firm, or a separate insurance agency. An insurance agent’s number one responsibility is to decide whether the insurance company or their client needs to pay out the claims or not.
Working in the insurance field as a finance major will allow you to explore several aspects of the financing field. Along with carrying out various tasks, you can also perform several roles, including customer service specialist, insurance sales representative, etc.
While insurance agents have responsibilities on both ground and supervisory levels, they also guide and train other insurance agents.
Average salary: An insurance agent earns an average salary of about $37,670.
2) Public accountant
One of the most popular career choices in finance is public accounting. It is a broad career choice mainly linked with maintaining and recording the flow of money for private companies or public entities.
As someone starting this role, your immediate goal should be to become a certified public accountant. An overwhelming number of professionals prefer Wiley CPA exam services for qualifying to become an internationally licensed public accountant.
Some of the few responsibilities of a public accountant include supporting individuals or organizations with financial statements, preparing tax reforms, preparing reports on boosting revenue, and overseeing audits.
Average salary: The average salary of CPAs is around $69,000 and can reach over $90,000 with increasing experience.
3) Investment banking
If you want to go for a financing career that’s dynamic, glamorous, and prestigious, investment banking is the job for you.
An investment banker is responsible for carrying out tasks related to financial remodeling and making decisions that improve overall business operations.
They are also responsible for managing the portfolios of government agencies and private businesses which invest in different companies.
Professionals working as investment bankers earn eye-watering salaries by helping large financial institutions raise capital investment.
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Investment banking holds a good reputation in the financing world, and professionals in this career often enjoy academic backgrounds from top-level universities.
Average salary: An investment banker can earn a whopping salary of anywhere between $50,000 and $300,000.
4) Financial analyst
Working as a financial analyst is the perfect career for finance majors who love combing through heaps of financial data and love to research. Analysts in the finance field generally offer recommendations and research potential investments to help portfolio managers and traders.
They are also responsible for helping business stakeholders to make financially sound decisions based on financial data. You can work in various settings, from insurance companies to banks, and perform multiple investment analyst or financial analyst roles.
You can assess the growth opportunity of working as a financial analyst because nearly every large organization tends to keep one to maintain their budgets, determine the best capital structure, and analyze cash flows.
One effective strategy for securing a job as a financial analyst is by obtaining a passing score in the SIE exam. This certification confirms to prospective employers that you have a comprehensive grasp of the securities industry’s workings and functions, a critical aspect of success. You can distinguish yourself from other job applicants by taking and passing the SIE exam. You may access SIE exam study materials here or seek out the assistance of tutors or mentors who can guide and support your learning process.
Average salary: Working as a successful financial analyst, you can earn an average wage of over $62,000.
5) Portfolio manager
Did you know that a portfolio manager can earn a whopping average salary of over $88,000? If a high-paying finance job is your goal, then look no further. As someone with a four-year degree in finance, economics, or business, you can easily conform to the role of a portfolio manager who is also known as a money manager.
A portfolio manager plays a defining role in any organization’s final investment decision-making process. They use their research of the current financial market trends and constant analysis to make the ultimate selling, holding, or buying decisions for securities.
This career is a perfect blend of science and commerce as it takes someone with impeccable mathematics, business, and analytical skills to get the job done.
Average salary: Working in portfolio management, you can earn anywhere between $55,000 and $173,000.
6) Risk management
A risk manager is every financial institution and business need, especially those increasingly investing large sums of money. Risk management involves staying on top of various risks that a business can face, including liquidity, market, credit, and operational risks.
Not only staying on top of those risks, but risk managers also work to manage, measure, and mitigate these risks.
Since companies and organizations will always be at risk due to numerous uncontrollable factors, there’s always be a need for a risk manager to identify those factors and predict the outcome.
It’s a career choice as much celebrated as investment banking in the financing world.
Average salary: Risk managers earn an average salary between $101,000 and $133,700.
7) Hedge fund manager
A typical day in a hedge fund manager’s life includes protecting investors by monitoring markets, but they also have to work with higher risk. These professionals usually make investment decisions manage and oversee a hedge fund’s operations.
Why are hedge fund managers such a lucrative finance career choice? Because hedge fund management firms are entitled to enormous profits that the hedge fund makes.
If you want to hold some of the most well-paid and sought-after positions in the finance industry, join a hedge fund manager and see your career soar.
Average salary: Hedge fund managers are some of the highest-paid executives in the industry and can earn up to a whopping $98,000 per year.
Conclusion
Being a finance major in today’s market is an advantage because some of the highest-paying jobs belong to this field across several industries.
The world of finance gives you countless opportunities to make your name and climb the corporate ladder. With such a broad category, you can discover lucrative career opportunities from investment banking to being an analyst.
If you’re a fresh finance graduate ambitious enough to make it big in the industry, you’ve come to the right place because the above career choice will take you places.