How to Become a Financial Risk Specialist
Measure and manage the financial risks a company faces, from markets to credit to operations. It typically requires a bachelor's degree, with a median salary of $117,330 per year and much faster than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$117,330/yr
Middle half
$83,980 to $158,250
Job growth
Much faster than average
Openings / yr
4,800
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Quantitative Analysis
- Modeling
- Statistics
- Communication
Related careers
- Financial Manager$166,570 median
- Actuary$130,000 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 Risk Specialist make?
The median pay for a Financial Risk Specialist is $117,330 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $83,980 and $158,250 (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 Risk Specialist?
The usual entry point is a bachelor's degree. Common majors are Actuarial Science, Risk Management, and Finance.
Is Financial Risk Specialist 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 4,800 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Financial Risk Specialist use most?
Common skills for this role are Quantitative Analysis, Modeling, Statistics, and Communication.
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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).