How much does a financial specialist make?
Answer: A typical financial specialist in the United States makes $81,100 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 132,000 people work in this job. Well above the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Financial specialist pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $48,460 | $81,100 | $151,490 | about 132,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $125,110 | about 2,000 |
| New York | $107,490 | about 10,000 |
| Maryland | $101,400 | about 4,000 |
| New Jersey | $98,630 | about 6,000 |
| Virginia | $92,930 | about 5,000 |
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., this broad job group covers very different specialties, so advanced skills and harder assignments can affect pay. Experience, useful credentials, the employer or industry, and location also make a difference; some specialties require licenses or certifications.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a financial specialist do?
All financial specialists not listed separately.
What's a typical day like?
Depending on the specialty, they may study financial data and models or investigate suspicious payments, interview people, and write reports. They explain their findings to others; fraud investigators may also testify in court.
How to get this job
In the U.S., many start after a bachelor’s in finance, business, accounting, or math—often in their early 20s—and internships or job training help. Quant roles may need graduate school; licenses or certificates depend on the specialty.
Did you know?
Some U.S. financial specialists investigate suspected fraud, collect evidence, and may testify in court about what they found.
Similar jobs
Jobs using similar skills (O*NET)Earn more in the same field
Business and Financial Operations jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2014/article/print/financial-specialists.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-2099.00
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-2099.01
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-2099.04
- www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-and-training-by-occupation.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY