The median pay for Financial Risk Specialists is $117,330 a year ($56.41/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 7.4% through 2035, with about 4,800 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 13-2054
- Business and Financial Operations
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Financial Risk Specialist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $117,330a year, or $56.41/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $65KTop 10% $196K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +7.4%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+7.4%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +7.4% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 4,80066,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202566K
- Projected 203570.8K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 66K Projected 2035 70.8K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Analyst, Equity Research Analyst, Risk Analyst, Risk Manager, Risk Specialist, Securities Analyst.
Pay
How much do Financial Risk Specialists make?
Every financial risk specialist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$117,330
Middle half earn $83,980 to $158,250
- 10th
- $64,820
- 25th
- $83,980
- 75th
- $158,250
- 90th
- $196,110
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $64,820 |
| 25th | $83,980 |
| Median | $117,330 |
| 75th | $158,250 |
| 90th | $196,110 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $117,330
- Median hourly wage
- $56.41/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $124,420
- People employed
- 63,850
Versus all US occupations
At $117,330, Financial Risk Specialists earn 130% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $66,350 a year.
Versus business and financial operations occupations
Inside the Business and Financial Operations group, where the middle occupation pays $80,730, this is 45% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $196,110 or more while the bottom 10% earn $64,820, a gap of 3.0×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 84% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New Hampshire pays the most at $158,320, and still leads at $151,990 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Financial Risk Specialists 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1New Hampshire | $158,320 | $151,990 | 300 |
| 2Maine | $141,020 | $145,307 | N/A |
| 3Delaware | $139,440 | $139,708 | 1,160 |
| 4New York | $136,830 | $126,787 | 12,060 |
| 5North Carolina | $132,040 | $139,983 | 3,200 |
| 6Massachusetts | $130,400 | $123,302 | 1,440 |
| 7New Jersey | $129,220 | $118,763 | 2,760 |
| 8California | $129,110 | $116,609 | 5,740 |
| 9Virginia | $126,510 | $125,129 | 1,770 |
| 10Washington | $123,150 | $115,079 | 900 |
Job outlook
Is Financial Risk Specialist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +7.4% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Financial Risk Specialists | +7.4% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Financial Risk Specialists to change 7.4% over 2025–2035, roughly 2.1× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 4,900 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 4,800 openings are projected each year, 7.3% of the 66,000 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.
Getting in
How to become a Financial Risk Specialist
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)
Medium 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 Risk Specialist do?
Analyze and measure exposure to credit and market risk threatening the assets, earning capacity, or economic state of an organization. May make recommendations to limit risk.
Financial analysts research and evaluate financial data, forecast future trends, and prepare reports containing recommendations for businesses and investors.
Day-to-day tasks
- Analyze areas of potential risk to the assets, earning capacity, or success of organizations.
- Analyze new legislation to determine impact on risk exposure.
- Conduct statistical analyses to quantify risk, using statistical analysis software or econometric models.
- Confer with traders to identify and communicate risks associated with specific trading strategies or positions.
- Consult financial literature to ensure use of the latest models or statistical techniques.
- Contribute to development of risk management systems.
- Determine potential environmental impacts of new products or processes on long-term growth and profitability.
- Develop contingency plans to deal with emergencies.
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 risk specialists 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
- Content workflow 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
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Financial Risk Specialist?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Financial Risk Specialist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 5 |
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 investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Conventional5.4
- Investigative5.0
- Enterprising4.9
- Social2.5
- Realistic1.7
- Artistic1.3
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 Risk Specialist
O*NET related occupations
- Business and Financial Operations
- Business and Financial Operations
- Management
- Business and Financial Operations
- 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
More business and financial operations careers
Median annual pay, with financial risk specialists highlighted
- Financial Risk Specialist$117,330
- Financial Advisor$105,070
- 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 Risk Specialist | $117,330 |
| Financial Advisor | $105,070 |
| 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 risk specialist
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
Lists Financial Risk Specialist appears on
Questions
Financial Risk Specialist: frequently asked questions
How much do Financial Risk Specialists make?
Financial Risk Specialists earn a median of $117,330 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 130% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $56.41/hr. The middle half earn between $83,980 and $158,250. The top 10% earn $196,110 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Financial Risk Specialist?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Financial Risk Specialists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation.
Is Financial Risk Specialist a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 7.4% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 4,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Financial Risk Specialist 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: analyze areas of potential risk to the assets, earning capacity, or success of organizations. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Analytical or scientific software, Business intelligence and data analysis software.
Which states pay Financial Risk Specialists the most?
The highest state medians for Financial Risk Specialists are New Hampshire ($158,320), Maine ($141,020), Delaware ($139,440) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Financial Risk Specialist?
O*NET scores Financial Risk Specialists highest on the Conventional, Investigative and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ISTJ, ENTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.