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.
Financial and Investment Analyst Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Financial and Investment Analysts earn a median of $102,740 per year ($49.40/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 5.7% through 2034, with about 25,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 13-2051Business and Financial OperationsLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $102,740
- Projected growth
- +5.7%
- Openings a year
- 25,100
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Analyst, Credit Products Officer, Equity Research Analyst, Financial Analyst, Investment Analyst, Planning Analyst.
How much do Financial and Investment Analysts make?
10th percentile$63,720
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$79,290
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$102,740
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$133,340
Upper quartile
90th percentile$180,860
Top-paid tenth
| 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 81% of the 923 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.
Which states pay Financial and Investment Analysts the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $187,090 | $201,843 | 190 |
| New York | $127,930 | $118,540 | 52,380 |
| Oregon | $120,590 | $116,669 | 2,820 |
| Massachusetts | $111,040 | $104,995 | 14,790 |
| Connecticut | $109,500 | $105,685 | N/A |
| California | $109,110 | $98,546 | 45,380 |
| New Jersey | $108,610 | $99,821 | 10,380 |
| Washington | $107,210 | $100,184 | 8,820 |
| District of Columbia | $105,780 | $96,250 | 3,670 |
| Virginia | $105,490 | $104,338 | 10,410 |
Is Financial and Investment Analyst a growing career?
Financial and Investment Analysts5.7%
All US occupations3.1%
+5.7% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Financial and Investment Analysts to change 5.7% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 21,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 25,100 openings are projected each year, 6.8% of the 368,500 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of financial analysts is projected to grow 6 percent from 2024 to 2034, 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 will be needed to evaluate investment opportunities when new businesses are established, or as existing businesses expand. In addition, emerging markets throughout the world are providing new investment opportunities, requiring expertise in geographic regions where those markets are located.
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.
How to become a Financial and Investment Analyst
Financial analysts typically need a bachelor’s degree to enter the occupation.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
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 guide businesses and individuals in decisions about expending money to attain profit. They assess the performance of stocks, bonds, and other types of investments.
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.
Where financial and investment analysts work
| Securities, commodity contracts, and other financial investments and related activities | 23% |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 13% |
| Credit intermediation and related activities | 12% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 11% |
| Insurance carriers and related activities | 7% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 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.
What personality type suits a Financial and Investment Analyst?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic1.0
Investigativeprimary5.1
Artistic1.8
Social2.3
Enterprisingprimary5.1
Conventionalprimary5.5
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
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.
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.
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 medium preparation.
Is Financial and Investment Analyst a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.7% over 2024–2034, faster than the 3.1% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 25,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Financial and Investment Analyst do?
Financial analysts guide businesses and individuals in decisions about expending money to attain profit. 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.
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 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 923 occupations in the bank.