How to Become a Financial Manager
Own the financial health of an organization: direct accounting, investments, reporting, and the strategy behind them. It typically requires a bachelor's degree, with a median salary of $166,570 per year and much faster than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$166,570/yr
Middle half
$125,490 to $219,980
Job growth
Much faster than average
Openings / yr
74,600
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Financial Strategy
- Reporting
- Leadership
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
Helpful certifications
- CPA
- CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst)
- CTP (Certified Treasury Professional)
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
41/100
Work-life balance
59/100
Stress level
60/100
Related careers
- Actuary$130,000 median
- Financial Risk Specialist$117,330 median
- Personal Financial Advisor$105,070 median
- Financial Analyst$102,740 median
- Management Consultant$101,860 median
- Financial Examiner$94,160 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Financial Manager make?
The median pay for a Financial Manager is $166,570 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $125,490 and $219,980 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Financial Manager?
The usual entry point is a bachelor's degree. Common majors are Finance, Accounting, Economics, and Business Administration.
Is Financial Manager a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is much faster than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 74,600 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Financial Manager use most?
Common skills for this role are Financial Strategy, Reporting, Leadership, Critical Thinking, and Monitoring.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).