• 47 fields of finance

What Field of Finance Should I Go Into

Company finance, banks and markets, personal finance, insurance or government: one field at a press, with the usual way in.

What Field of Finance Should I Go Into

Show all 47
  1. Commercial lendingCommercial loan officers handle loans to businesses, often large and complex. Way in: bachelor’s degree.

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All 47 fields of finance

Companies and accounting firms 20

  • Bookkeeping Bookkeeping clerks record transactions and keep the general ledger. Way in: some college.
  • Budget analysis Budget analysts prepare budget reports and monitor spending. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Cash management Cash managers control the flow of money into and out of an organization. Way in: degree and 5 years’ work.
  • Collections Collectors recover payment on overdue bills and negotiate repayment plans. Way in: high school diploma.
  • Compliance Compliance officers see that organizations meet legal and regulatory rules. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Controllership Controllers direct the reports that sum up and forecast finances. Way in: degree and 5 years’ work.
  • Corporate finance Financial managers direct investments and long-term money plans. Way in: degree and 5 years’ work.
  • Cost estimating Cost estimators work out the time, money, materials and labor a project needs. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Credit management Credit managers set credit limits and watch past-due accounts. Way in: degree and 5 years’ work.
  • External audit External auditors review a client’s financial statements from outside. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Forensic accounting Forensic accountants investigate financial crimes such as embezzlement. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Insurance management Insurance managers decide how to insure an organization against losses. Way in: degree and 5 years’ work.
  • Internal audit Internal auditors look for waste, fraud and risk inside their employer. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • IT audit IT auditors review the controls on an organization’s IT systems. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Management accounting Management accountants prepare budgets and figures for a firm’s own managers. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Payroll Payroll clerks post time and pay data and check that paychecks are correct. Way in: high school diploma.
  • Pension actuarial work Pension actuaries test whether a pension plan can pay its benefits. Way in: bachelor’s degree and exams.
  • Public accounting Public accountants do accounting, audit and tax work for outside clients. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Risk management Risk managers limit the chance of loss, as from currency prices. Way in: degree and 5 years’ work.
  • Treasury Treasurers direct budgets and plans to raise capital. Way in: degree and 5 years’ work.

Banks and markets 15

  • Branch banking Tellers process routine transactions at a bank or credit union. Way in: high school diploma.
  • Brokerage Brokers carry out buy and sell orders for clients. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Brokerage operations Brokerage clerks write orders, verify trades and record daily holdings. Way in: high school diploma.
  • Commercial lending Commercial loan officers handle loans to businesses, often large and complex. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Consumer lending Consumer loan officers handle loans to people, as for a car or tuition. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Credit analysis Credit analysts study credit data and statements to judge the risk of lending. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Financial examination Financial examiners check that banks follow the laws on handling money. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Financial risk analysis Financial risk specialists measure exposure to credit and market risk. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Investment analysis Investment analysts rate and recommend investments from business trends. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Investment banking Investment bankers connect businesses that need funding with investors. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Loan processing Loan interviewers gather and verify the facts a loan application needs. Way in: high school diploma.
  • Loan underwriting Loan underwriters evaluate whether a client is creditworthy. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Mortgage lending Mortgage loan officers handle loans used to buy real estate. Way in: bachelor’s degree and a license.
  • Real estate appraisal Appraisers estimate the value of land and buildings, one property at a time. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Trading Traders carry out buy and sell orders for clients and for the firm itself. Way in: bachelor’s degree.

Personal finance 3

  • Financial planning Personal financial advisors help people plan for goals such as retirement. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Insurance sales Insurance agents explain policies and help clients choose a plan. Way in: high school diploma and a license.
  • Tax preparation Tax preparers prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses. Way in: high school diploma.

Insurance and risk 4

  • Actuarial science Actuaries use mathematics and statistics to cost risk. Way in: bachelor’s degree and exams.
  • Insurance claims Claims adjusters decide whether an insurer must pay a claim and how much. Way in: high school diploma.
  • Insurance investigation Insurance investigators handle claims where fraud is suspected. Way in: high school diploma.
  • Insurance underwriting Underwriters decide whether to insure an applicant and set the premium. Way in: bachelor’s degree.

Government and public bodies 5

  • Government accounting Government accountants keep and examine the records of government agencies. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Property assessment Assessors value whole neighborhoods of property for property tax. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Tax auditing Revenue agents review the complex tax returns of large businesses. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Tax collection Tax collectors deal with overdue tax accounts and arrange payment. Way in: bachelor’s degree.
  • Tax examination Tax examiners check that the credits and deductions on a return are lawful. Way in: bachelor’s degree.

How it works

Finance is not one job. These fields run from treasury and lending to insurance, audit and tax. “Way in” on each card is the typical entry-level education the US Bureau of Labor Statistics gives for the job.

Read the full guide

Start from who you would work for

A company’s finance team looks after its own money. Banks and brokerages lend and trade for clients. Advisors, tax preparers and insurance agents work with households, and governments employ examiners, assessors and tax collectors.

Then check the way in

The Bureau of Labor Statistics gives a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education for most of these fields. Actuaries also pass a series of exams, and bookkeeping clerks typically start with some college.

  • Corporate finance is rarely a first job: financial managers usually come from work as a loan officer, accountant, auditor, securities sales agent or financial analyst.
  • Some fields ask for a license: mortgage loan officers must be licensed, and insurance sales agents need one in each state where they work.

Questions and answers

What are the different fields of finance?

This list sorts 47 by setting: finance inside a company, banks and markets, personal finance, insurance, and government. Treasury, commercial lending, financial planning, underwriting and tax examination are one example from each.

How do I choose a field of finance?

Start with the work, not the title. Analysis points to investment or credit analysis; work with people to lending, financial planning or insurance sales; rules and records to audit, compliance or tax.

What does a financial analyst do?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says financial analysts research and evaluate financial data, forecast trends and prepare reports with recommendations for businesses and investors. They typically need a bachelor’s degree in finance or a related field.

Which finance jobs do not need a degree?

The Bureau gives a high school diploma as the typical entry-level education for tellers, financial clerks, bill collectors, tax preparers and insurance sales agents, and as the usual requirement for an entry-level claims adjuster.

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