Financial Analysts Job Overview
Financial analysts analyze the economic performance and financial situation of industries and companies on behalf of institutions and companies that invest money. Financial analysts evaluate the feasibility of a deal. Financial analysts also make investment decisions or provide recommendations. Many financial analysts focus on a specific industry, region or product.
Financial Analysts Schools and Degrees
Many colleges and universities offer degrees in finance, economics, statistics, accounting and business administration.
Job Requirements
Financial analysts are typically required to have at least a bachelor's degree in finance, economics, statistics, accounting or business administration. Advanced courses in options pricing and bond evaluation are useful. Some employers seek applicants who have a master's degree in finance or business administration.
Nature of Work
- Analyze financial statements of companies
- Develop investment strategies for a company's portfolio
- Assess the ability to repay debts by companies and governments that issue bonds
- Analyze current trends in business practices, products and competition
Financial Analysts Jobs and Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected a 20% job growth for financial analysts from 2008 to 2018 which is much faster than average for all occupations.
The major employment sectors for financial analysts are shown below:
- Financial advising firms
- Investment banks
- Investment funds
- Insurance companies
- Mutual funds
- Hedge funds
The median annual earnings of financial analysts in 2009 was $73,670. Job Numbers and Growth About 221,000 financial analysts are employed nationally. Workers can expect a very low level of unemployment, if history can be used as a guide. In 2008, 2% of employees could not find jobs. Area Job Conditions Popular locations for financial analysts include Bridgeport (Connecticut), Bloomington (Illinois), and Boston (Massachusetts). Fewer are found in Bakersfield (California), Atlantic City (New Jersey), and Youngstown (Ohio). Workers looking for high salaries should look at Bridgeport (Connecticut), San Francisco (California), and New York (New York), and should avoid Rocky Mount (North Carolina), Port St. Lucie (Florida), and Fort Smith (Arkansas). Training and Education Employees often obtain a bachelor's degree before starting. The percentage of financial analysts with college degrees is 87%. Workers with some college (less than a bachelor's degree) represent about 10% of the total. Some employees, about 3%, had a high-school education. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career. Part-Time Work and Self-Employment Part-time financial analysts are 7% of all surveyed. Some workers, about 8%, work for themselves.
Financial Analysts by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings) In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation. Alabama | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Birmingham | $66,000 | 380 | -63% | | Huntsville | $62,000 | 80 | -80% | | Mobile | | 60 | -83% | | Montgomery | $60,000 | 100 | -69% |
Alaska | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Anchorage | $63,000 | 170 | -44% |
Arizona | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Phoenix | $69,000 | 3,020 | -19% | | Tucson | $66,000 | 540 | -25% |
Arkansas | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Fort Smith | $44,000 | 40 | -82% | | Little Rock | $63,000 | 310 | -53% |
California | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bakersfield | $82,000 | 60 | -88% | | Fresno | $97,000 | 120 | -82% | | Oakland | $103,000 | 2,060 | +0% | | Oxnard | $80,000 | 380 | -34% | | Riverside | $60,000 | 440 | -83% | | Sacramento | $70,000 | 1,350 | -24% | | San Diego | $93,000 | 2,010 | -25% | | San Francisco | $120,000 | 4,560 | +129% | | San Jose | $92,000 | 3,340 | +82% | | Santa Ana | $90,000 | 2,520 | -17% | | Santa Barbara | $86,000 | 90 | -72% | | Santa Cruz | $77,000 | 50 | -69% | | Santa Rosa | $108,000 | 60 | -83% | | Stockton | $71,000 | 70 | -83% |
Colorado | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Boulder | $106,000 | 420 | +38% | | Colorado Springs | $66,000 | 180 | -63% | | Denver | $83,000 | 3,850 | +54% | | Fort Collins | $73,000 | 160 | -29% | | Greeley | $81,000 | 60 | -55% | | Pueblo | $86,000 | 30 | -68% |
Connecticut | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bridgeport | $114,000 | 3,360 | +291% | | Hartford | $72,000 | 1,850 | +61% | | New Haven | $76,000 | 360 | -34% | | Norwich | $78,000 | 140 | -40% | | Waterbury | $74,000 | 60 | -51% |
Delaware | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Dover | $76,000 | 30 | -69% | | Wilmington | $81,000 | 1,820 | +183% |
District of Columbia | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Washington | $83,000 | 7,310 | +58% |
Florida | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Cape Coral | $63,000 | 60 | -85% | | Fort Lauderdale | $83,000 | 1,290 | -11% | | Fort Walton Beach | $80,000 | 40 | -71% | | Jacksonville | $71,000 | 720 | -40% | | Lakeland | $69,000 | 60 | -84% | | Miami | $70,000 | 1,120 | -43% | | Naples | $69,000 | 60 | -73% | | Ocala | $74,000 | 40 | -77% | | Orlando | $61,000 | 1,130 | -46% | | Palm Bay | $65,000 | 130 | -65% | | Port St Lucie | $43,000 | 40 | -83% | | Sarasota | $56,000 | 90 | -82% | | Tallahassee | $52,000 | 210 | -32% | | Tampa | $62,000 | 1,520 | -37% | | West Palm Beach | $75,000 | 830 | -22% |
Georgia | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Athens | $55,000 | 90 | -33% | | Atlanta | $76,000 | 4,490 | -5% | | Augusta | $84,000 | 90 | -77% | | Columbus | $68,000 | 260 | +29% | | Gainesville | $67,000 | 70 | -44% | | Rome | $94,000 | 40 | -34% | | Savannah | $71,000 | 180 | -36% |
Hawaii | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Honolulu | $76,000 | 400 | -53% |
Idaho | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Boise | $56,000 | 270 | -48% | | Coeur Dalene | $56,000 | 50 | -48% |
Illinois | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bloomington | $73,000 | 480 | +282% | | Champaign | $65,000 | 40 | -77% | | Chicago | $94,000 | 11,110 | +46% | | Peoria | $68,000 | 210 | -35% | | Rockford | $70,000 | 100 | -65% | | Springfield | $72,000 | 120 | -37% |
Indiana | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bloomington | $64,000 | 30 | -75% | | Columbus | $85,000 | 60 | -17% | | Elkhart | $61,000 | 30 | -88% | | Evansville | $78,000 | 80 | -76% | | Fort Wayne | $74,000 | 190 | -53% | | Gary | $61,000 | 70 | -87% | | Indianapolis | $69,000 | 1,120 | -37% | | South Bend | $87,000 | 70 | -73% | | Terre Haute | | 40 | -68% |
Iowa | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Cedar Rapids | $65,000 | 260 | +3% | | Des Moines | $61,000 | 990 | +55% | | Iowa City | $59,000 | 90 | -30% | | Sioux City | $66,000 | 40 | -69% |
Kansas | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Topeka | $66,000 | 120 | -41% | | Wichita | $64,000 | 330 | -45% |
Kentucky | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Lexington | $73,000 | 70 | -85% | | Louisville | $69,000 | 630 | -48% |
Louisiana | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Baton Rouge | $68,000 | 170 | -76% | | Lafayette | $74,000 | 60 | -78% | | Monroe | $74,000 | 40 | -72% | | New Orleans | $67,000 | 290 | -71% | | Shreveport | $73,000 | 50 | -85% |
Maine | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Portland | $84,000 | 190 | -51% |
Maryland | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Baltimore | $90,000 | 2,720 | +5% | | Bethesda | $74,000 | 1,550 | +37% |
Massachusetts | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Barnstable Town | | 30 | -84% | | Boston | $90,000 | 11,890 | +246% | | Brockton | $73,000 | 50 | -69% | | Framingham | $73,000 | 540 | +75% | | Lowell | $80,000 | 200 | -11% | | Pittsfield | $75,000 | 50 | -8% | | Springfield | $88,000 | 350 | -40% | | Worcester | $66,000 | 550 | +15% |
Michigan | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Ann Arbor | $74,000 | 160 | -49% | | Battle Creek | $57,000 | 130 | +55% | | Detroit | | 2,000 | +42% | | Flint | $70,000 | 40 | -84% | | Grand Rapids | $65,000 | 290 | -61% | | Holland | $68,000 | 100 | -46% | | Kalamazoo | $57,000 | 130 | -49% | | Lansing | $75,000 | 230 | -38% | | Niles | $80,000 | 130 | +19% | | Saginaw | $72,000 | 60 | -56% | | Warren | $74,000 | 1,700 | -26% |
Minnesota | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Duluth | $63,000 | 50 | -79% | | Minneapolis | $75,000 | 4,790 | +34% | | Rochester | $71,000 | 150 | -11% | | St Cloud | $59,000 | 50 | -73% |
Mississippi | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Jackson | $71,000 | 80 | -84% |
Missouri | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Columbia | $46,000 | 40 | -73% | | Jefferson City | $61,000 | 80 | -35% | | Joplin | $67,000 | 50 | -65% | | Kansas City | $74,000 | 2,380 | +16% | | Springfield | $56,000 | 90 | -76% | | St Louis | $79,000 | 1,830 | -32% |
Montana | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Billings | $68,000 | 30 | -79% |
Nebraska | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Lincoln | $56,000 | 80 | -74% | | Omaha | $59,000 | 810 | -11% |
Nevada | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Las Vegas | $77,000 | 270 | -85% | | Reno | $72,000 | 90 | -77% |
New Hampshire | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Manchester | $66,000 | 160 | -17% | | Nashua | $76,000 | 400 | +54% | | Rochester | $64,000 | 70 | -30% |
New Jersey | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Atlantic City | $66,000 | 30 | -89% | | Camden | $84,000 | 1,130 | +8% | | Edison | $88,000 | 2,580 | +26% | | Newark | $83,000 | 2,170 | +8% | | Trenton | $110,000 | 860 | +108% |
New Mexico | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Albuquerque | $54,000 | 160 | -79% | | Santa Fe | | 120 | +7% |
New York | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Albany | $64,000 | 700 | -19% | | Binghamton | $78,000 | 290 | +48% | | Buffalo | $61,000 | 1,350 | +27% | | Ithaca | $54,000 | 60 | -17% | | Nassau | $80,000 | 1,600 | -36% | | New York | $111,000 | 35,140 | +243% | | Poughkeepsie | $77,000 | 250 | -46% | | Rochester | $72,000 | 1,110 | +12% | | Syracuse | $82,000 | 460 | -24% | | Utica | $54,000 | 140 | -41% |
North Carolina | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Asheville | $69,000 | 40 | -88% | | Charlotte | $78,000 | 4,090 | +132% | | Durham | $72,000 | 870 | +64% | | Greensboro | $67,000 | 260 | -64% | | Hickory | $67,000 | 50 | -84% | | Raleigh | $71,000 | 720 | -29% | | Rocky Mount | $47,000 | 90 | -12% | | Wilmington | $58,000 | 130 | -52% | | Winston Salem | $70,000 | 450 | +9% |
North Dakota | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bismarck | $55,000 | 110 | +12% | | Fargo | $82,000 | 190 | -12% |
Ohio | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Akron | $58,000 | 440 | -33% | | Canton | $65,000 | 130 | -61% | | Cincinnati | $73,000 | 2,370 | +15% | | Cleveland | $70,000 | 1,460 | -31% | | Columbus | $73,000 | 2,170 | +17% | | Dayton | $65,000 | 410 | -47% | | Toledo | $67,000 | 170 | -72% | | Youngstown | $56,000 | 40 | -91% |
Oklahoma | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Lawton | | 30 | -51% | | Oklahoma City | $63,000 | 470 | -58% | | Tulsa | $63,000 | 500 | -42% |
Oregon | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Eugene | $74,000 | 40 | -86% | | Portland | $84,000 | 1,240 | -40% |
Pennsylvania | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Allentown | $64,000 | 700 | +6% | | Erie | $73,000 | 60 | -74% | | Harrisburg | $75,000 | 560 | -9% | | Lancaster | $60,000 | 130 | -71% | | Philadelphia | $78,000 | 8,860 | +135% | | Pittsburgh | $64,000 | 2,090 | -8% | | Reading | $69,000 | 130 | -58% | | Scranton | $62,000 | 280 | -44% | | State College | $65,000 | 40 | -59% | | York | $62,000 | 50 | -85% |
Rhode Island | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Providence | $66,000 | 880 | -21% |
South Carolina | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Columbia | $56,000 | 330 | -52% | | Greenville | $68,000 | 170 | -71% |
South Dakota | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Rapid City | $55,000 | 50 | -55% | | Sioux Falls | $53,000 | 370 | +43% |
Tennessee | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Chattanooga | $63,000 | 130 | -71% | | Knoxville | $66,000 | 260 | -60% | | Memphis | $67,000 | 730 | -41% | | Nashville | $62,000 | 670 | -56% |
Texas | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Amarillo | $70,000 | 110 | -40% | | Austin | $83,000 | 1,510 | 0% | | Beaumont | $66,000 | 50 | -83% | | College Station | $63,000 | 60 | -57% | | Corpus Christi | $58,000 | 160 | -52% | | Dallas | $84,000 | 6,970 | +66% | | El Paso | $61,000 | 100 | -80% | | Fort Worth | $72,000 | 1,250 | -27% | | Houston | $76,000 | 7,030 | +36% | | Killeen | $81,000 | 160 | -28% | | Lubbock | $68,000 | 50 | -78% | | Midland | $114,000 | 180 | +54% | | San Antonio | $53,000 | 1,090 | -35% | | Tyler | $72,000 | 90 | -45% | | Waco | $66,000 | 50 | -72% |
Utah | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Ogden | $54,000 | 120 | -69% | | Provo | $54,000 | 70 | -78% | | Salt Lake City | $62,000 | 1,420 | +14% |
Vermont | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Burlington | $75,000 | 140 | -31% |
Virginia | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Blacksburg | $76,000 | 40 | -63% | | Charlottesville | $54,000 | 120 | -29% | | Lynchburg | $65,000 | 60 | -67% | | Richmond | $78,000 | 1,650 | +39% | | Roanoke | $56,000 | 130 | -56% | | Virginia Beach | $61,000 | 450 | -70% |
Washington | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Kennewick | $73,000 | 50 | -69% | | Olympia | $91,000 | 60 | -65% | | Seattle | $91,000 | 1,910 | -33% | | Spokane | $71,000 | 120 | -70% | | Tacoma | $88,000 | 380 | -27% |
West Virginia | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Charleston | $54,000 | 160 | -41% | | Huntington | | 40 | -81% |
Wisconsin | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Appleton | | 70 | -67% | | Green Bay | $61,000 | 70 | -78% | | Madison | $77,000 | 330 | -49% | | Milwaukee | $76,000 | 1,270 | -25% | | Wausau | $63,000 | 140 | +18% |
Wyoming | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Cheyenne | | 30 | -59% |
Salary and employment data obtained from the United States Department of Labor. Individual salaries depend on location, education and career background. Thanks to CityTownInfo.com for this financial analyst schools and jobs info.
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