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Financial Examiners Job Overview

Financial examiners analyze an organization's financial records to ensure it's complying with federal, state or local laws. Financial examiners also make sure the financial records of an individual or organization are accurate. They evaluate a company's or an individual's tax returns for accuracy and to verify that credits and deductions are legitimate. Financial examiners working for a private company may evaluate the company's tax documents prior to filing to ensure they are accurate.

Financial Examiners Schools and Degrees

Many colleges and universities provide degrees in accounting and finance.

Job Requirements

Many public and private employers require a bachelor's degree in accounting or finance for entry-level financial examiner jobs. For some jobs an advanced degree is necessary. Some employers may require financial examiners to have credentials such as CPA, CISA and CISSP.

Nature of Work

• Examine and verify cash reserves, bank owned securities and assigned collateral
• Investigate the activities of organizations to enforce laws and regulations
• Ensure legality of operations and transactions and financial solvency
• Provide recommendations for coordinating existing systems with examination procedures

Financial Examiners Jobs and Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a much faster than average job growth for financial examiners from 2008 to 2018.

The major employers of financial examiners are shown below:

• Federal government
• State agencies
• Private corporations

In 2009, the median annual earnings for financial examiners was $71,750.

Job Numbers and Growth

Financial examiners in the US number about 26,000. Workers generally expect a very low unemployment rate. There were about 2% of employees without jobs in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

Where are jobs most numerous? Albany (New York), Des Moines (Iowa), and Eau Claire (Wisconsin). Least common? Virginia Beach (Virginia), Fort Lauderdale (Florida), and Riverside (California).

Salaries vary across the country, from highest in Washington (District of Columbia), Springfield (Massachusetts), and San Francisco (California) to lowest in Birmingham (Alabama), Montgomery (Alabama), and Virginia Beach (Virginia).

Training and Education

Obtaining a bachelor's degree will help job seekers. Employees with four or more years of college are 76% of the total. An estimated 15% of financial examiners attended college at some level but did not pursue a 4-year degree. 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

Whether by choice or necessity, 9% of financial examiners work part-time.

Financial Examiners 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

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Missouri

Nebraska

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin