Financial and Investment Analysts earn a median of $102,740 per year ($49.40/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 7.2% through 2035, with about 24,700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 13-2051
- Business and Financial Operations
- Last updated October 15, 2026
At a glance
Financial and Investment Analyst in four numbers
- Median pay
- $102,740a year, or $49.40/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $64KTop 10% $181K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +7.2%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+7.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +7.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 24,700377,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025377.2K
- Projected 2035404.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 377.2K Projected 2035 404.3K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Analyst, Credit Products Officer, Equity Research Analyst, Financial Analyst, Investment Analyst, Planning Analyst.
Pay
How much do financial and investment analysts make?
Financial and Investment Analysts earn a median of $102,740 a year ($49.40 an hour, or about $8,560 a month); the lowest-paid 10% earn less than $63,720 and the top 10% more than $180,860 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The best-paying state is Wyoming, with a median of $187,090. See Financial and investment analyst salary in Wyoming and every other state. By city, pay is highest around Bozeman ($161,990 average): salary in every city.
Every financial and investment analyst in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$102,740
Middle half earn $79,290 to $133,340
- 10th
- $63,720
- 25th
- $79,290
- 75th
- $133,340
- 90th
- $180,860
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $63,720 |
| 25th | $79,290 |
| Median | $102,740 |
| 75th | $133,340 |
| 90th | $180,860 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $102,740
- Median hourly wage
- $49.40/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $116,800
- People employed
- 361,980
Versus all US occupations
At $102,740, Financial and Investment Analysts earn 102% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $51,760 a year.
Versus business and financial operations occupations
Inside the Business and Financial Operations group, where the middle occupation pays $80,730, this is 27% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $180,860 or more while the bottom 10% earn $63,720, a gap of 2.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 76% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Wyoming pays the most at $187,090, and still leads at $201,843 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay financial and investment analysts the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Wyoming | $187,090 | $201,843 | 190 |
| 2New York | $127,930 | $118,540 | 52,380 |
| 3Oregon | $120,590 | $116,669 | 2,820 |
| 4Massachusetts | $111,040 | $104,995 | 14,790 |
| 5Connecticut | $109,500 | $105,685 | N/A |
| 6California | $109,110 | $98,546 | 45,380 |
| 7New Jersey | $108,610 | $99,821 | 10,380 |
| 8Washington | $107,210 | $100,184 | 8,820 |
| 9District of Columbia | $105,780 | $96,250 | 3,670 |
| 10Virginia | $105,490 | $104,338 | 10,410 |
Job outlook
Is financial and investment analyst a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +7.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Financial and Investment Analysts | +7.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Financial and Investment Analysts to change 7.2% over 2025–2035, roughly 2.1× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 27,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 24,700 openings are projected each year, 6.5% of the 377,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of financial analysts is projected to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Demand for financial analysts generally increases with overall economic activity. These workers are expected to be needed to evaluate investment opportunities when new businesses are established or as existing businesses expand. In addition, investing has become more global, and some financial analysts specialize in a particular country or world region. Their expertise is expected to be in demand to assess investment strategies in these international markets.
Financial analysts also will be needed to assess growing volumes of data. Their analysis will help businesses manage their finances, identify investment trends, reduce risk, and deliver new products or services to clients.
AI exposure: very high
BLS places this occupation in its very high relative AI exposure category, among the occupations most exposed to current AI.
Getting in
How to become a financial and investment analyst
Financial analysts typically need a bachelor’s degree to enter the occupation.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
Full BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook entryThe work
What does a financial and investment analyst do?
Conduct quantitative analyses of information involving investment programs or financial data of public or private institutions, including valuation of businesses.
Financial analysts research and evaluate financial data, forecast future trends, and prepare reports containing recommendations for businesses and investors.
Day-to-day tasks
- Advise clients on aspects of capitalization, such as amounts, sources, or timing.
- Analyze financial or operational performance of companies facing financial difficulties to identify or recommend remedies.
- Assess companies as investments for clients by examining company facilities.
- Collaborate on projects with other professionals, such as lawyers, accountants, or public relations experts.
- Collaborate with investment bankers to attract new corporate clients.
- Conduct financial analyses related to investments in green construction or green retrofitting projects.
- Confer with clients to restructure debt, refinance debt, or raise new debt.
- Create client presentations of plan details.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most financial analysts work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition.
Where financial and investment analysts work
Share of jobs by employer type
- Securities, commodity contracts, and other financial investments and related activities24%
- Professional, scientific, and technical services14%
- Credit intermediation and related activities12%
- Management of companies and enterprises11%
- Insurance carriers and related activities6%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Securities, commodity contracts, and other financial investments and related activities | 24% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 14% |
| Credit intermediation and related activities | 12% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 11% |
| Insurance carriers and related activities | 6% |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base reporting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
The workforce
Who works as a financial and investment analyst?
Women make up 41.8% of financial and investment analysts, against 47.1% of all employed people: more men than in the workforce as a whole.
Only 17.8% are 55 or older (23.2% across all jobs): a young workforce.
The median worker is 40.2 years old (all workers: 42.1).
- Women
- 41.8%All workers 47.1% · BLS CPS, 2025
- Median age
- 40.2All workers 42.1 · BLS CPS, 2025
- Aged 55+
- 17.8%All workers 23.2% · BLS CPS, 2025
- Employed (CPS)
- 422,000BLS CPS, 2025
| Group | Share of financial and investment analysts | All employed people |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 41.8% | 47.1% |
| White | 73.4% | 75.7% |
| Black or African American | 9.0% | 12.7% |
| Asian | 15.7% | 7.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 8.9% | 20.0% |
| Aged 55 and over | 17.8% | 23.2% |
| Aged 16 to 24 | 8.5% | 12.2% |
Current Population Survey annual averages, 2025 (BLS tables 11 and 11b). Race groups can overlap with Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, so they do not sum to 100%.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a financial and investment analyst?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Financial and Investment Analyst |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Conventional5.5
- Enterprising5.1
- Investigative5.1
- Social2.3
- Artistic1.8
- Realistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Financial and Investment Analyst
O*NET related occupations
- Business and Financial Operations
- Sales and Related
Security, Commodity, and Financial Services Sales Agent
$78,660median a year
Most earn $48K to $213K
+1.4%Bachelor's - Management
- Business and Financial Operations
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More business and financial operations careers
Median annual pay, with financial and investment analysts highlighted
- Financial Advisor$105,070
- Financial and Investment Analyst$102,740
- Accountant$83,680
- Insurance Underwriter$81,370
- Coroner$80,730
- Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator$78,000
- Loan Officer$76,690
- Human Resources Specialist$75,940
- Appraiser and Assessor of Real Estate$67,960
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Financial Advisor | $105,070 |
| Financial and Investment Analyst | $102,740 |
| Accountant | $83,680 |
| Insurance Underwriter | $81,370 |
| Coroner | $80,730 |
| Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator | $78,000 |
| Loan Officer | $76,690 |
| Human Resources Specialist | $75,940 |
| Appraiser and Assessor of Real Estate | $67,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Specialty careers within financial and investment analyst
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
Lists Financial and Investment Analyst appears on
Questions
Financial and Investment Analyst: frequently asked questions
How much do financial and investment analysts make?
Financial and Investment Analysts earn a median of $102,740 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 102% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $49.40/hr. The middle half earn between $79,290 and $133,340. The top 10% earn $180,860 or more.
How much do financial and investment analysts make an hour?
The median hourly wage for financial and investment analysts is $49.40 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). On a full-year basis the $102,740 annual median works out to about $8,560 a month before tax.
What is the starting salary for a financial and investment analyst?
BLS does not publish a starting salary. The nearest measure is the low end of the pay range: the lowest-paid 10% of financial and investment analysts earn less than $63,720 a year and the bottom quarter less than $79,290 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). New workers often start near that end, but where a particular job starts depends on the employer, the state and the credentials you bring, so read these as the bottom of the range rather than a guaranteed entry wage.
Do financial and investment analysts make $100k?
Yes, more often than not. The median is $102,740, so more than half of financial and investment analysts earn over $100,000 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). In 19 states the median itself is above $100,000: Wyoming ($187,090), New York ($127,930), Oregon ($120,590), Massachusetts ($111,040), and 15 more.
Which states pay financial and investment analysts the most?
The highest state medians for Financial and Investment Analysts are Wyoming ($187,090), New York ($127,930), Oregon ($120,590) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What kind of financial and investment analyst earns the most?
BLS does not split financial and investment analysts' pay by specialty or employer, but its range shows how far the top end runs: the highest-paid 10% earn more than $180,860, against a median of $102,740 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Location moves pay the most in the published data: the best-paying states are Wyoming ($187,090), New York ($127,930), Oregon ($120,590). Among the specialty careers inside this occupation, industry sources put typical pay at $244,000 for private equity associates (Heidrick & Struggles 2025 North America Private Equity Investment Professional Compensation Survey, 2024); $227,000 for hedge fund analysts (eFinancialCareers Compensation & Lifestyle Report 2026, 2025); $130,000 for venture capitalists (Levels.fyi, 2026). Those are not BLS figures.
Do you need a degree to become a financial and investment analyst?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Financial and Investment Analysts, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation.
How long does it take to become a financial and investment analyst?
BLS does not publish a fixed length; it depends on the route. What it does publish: the typical way in for financial and investment analysts is a bachelor's degree. O*NET classes the work as needing considerable preparation.
Is financial and investment analyst a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 7.2% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 24,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a financial and investment analyst do?
Financial analysts research and evaluate financial data, forecast future trends, and prepare reports containing recommendations for businesses and investors. A core O*NET task: advise clients on aspects of capitalization, such as amounts, sources, or timing. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Analytical or scientific software, Business intelligence and data analysis software.
What personality type suits a financial and investment analyst?
O*NET scores Financial and Investment Analysts highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ENTJ, ESTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.
What percentage of financial and investment analysts are women?
Women make up 41.8% of financial and investment analysts, against 47.1% of all employed people: more men than in the workforce as a whole. Only 17.8% are 55 or older (23.2% across all jobs): a young workforce. The median worker is 40.2 years old (all workers: 42.1). Source: BLS Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages.