Financial managers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $94,310 | $45.34 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $166,570 | $80.08 |
| Mean (average) | $186,910 | $89.86 |
| 90th percentile | $323,270 | $155.42 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Financial managers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 54 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $140,500 | $86,340 | $256,750 | 7,200 | 0.63 |
| Alaska | $127,030 | $85,440 | $205,080 | 2,020 | 1.14 |
| Arizona | $139,830 | $80,690 | $254,840 | 14,900 | 0.85 |
| Arkansas | $116,570 | $62,780 | $225,010 | 7,120 | 1.01 |
| California | $180,770 | $101,820 | $341,670 | 93,310 | 0.95 |
| Colorado | $182,690 | $123,900 | $339,290 | 10,640 | 0.68 |
| Connecticut | $174,830 | $98,540 | $333,370 | 20,040 | 2.18 |
| Delaware | $181,580 | $129,930 | $321,620 | 2,810 | 1.07 |
| District of Columbia | $188,880 | $130,880 | $349,420 | 8,930 | 2.35 |
| Florida | $153,280 | $79,450 | $303,790 | 48,910 | 0.91 |
| Georgia | $166,790 | $94,040 | $315,890 | 21,390 | 0.81 |
| Guam | $80,390 | $54,890 | $141,460 | 380 | 1.04 |
| Hawaii | $134,210 | $79,060 | $220,190 | 3,790 | 1.12 |
| Idaho | $127,210 | $76,890 | $213,230 | 3,120 | 0.67 |
| Illinois | $165,880 | $100,070 | $313,110 | 52,720 | 1.6 |
| Indiana | $135,840 | $80,610 | $234,710 | 12,560 | 0.73 |
| Iowa | $133,320 | $80,020 | $225,920 | 9,130 | 1.08 |
| Kansas | $159,380 | $97,510 | $273,640 | 5,190 | 0.67 |
| Kentucky | $130,650 | $82,110 | $223,290 | 6,630 | 0.61 |
| Louisiana | $126,800 | $78,040 | $220,870 | 7,070 | 0.68 |
| Maine | $133,610 | $81,700 | $231,620 | 3,120 | 0.9 |
| Maryland | $158,750 | $84,030 | $290,190 | 19,770 | 1.32 |
| Massachusetts | $206,760 | $120,850 | $332,490 | 26,150 | 1.33 |
| Michigan | $139,370 | $80,280 | $258,480 | 22,490 | 0.94 |
| Minnesota | $163,410 | $99,250 | $277,680 | 16,680 | 1.04 |
| Mississippi | $111,390 | $58,250 | $210,520 | 3,470 | 0.55 |
| Missouri | $143,460 | $86,950 | $273,420 | 13,330 | 0.84 |
| Montana | $131,060 | $81,430 | $234,370 | 1,510 | 0.55 |
| Nebraska | $140,360 | $89,990 | $227,640 | 5,630 | 1.02 |
| Nevada | $132,490 | $75,240 | $282,460 | 8,090 | 0.96 |
| New Hampshire | $144,730 | $87,270 | $243,350 | 4,330 | 1.17 |
| New Jersey | $199,110 | $130,630 | $337,130 | 32,510 | 1.4 |
| New Mexico | $133,700 | $90,750 | $216,360 | 2,530 | 0.54 |
| New York | $219,880 | $124,670 | $370,780 | 80,810 | 1.54 |
| North Carolina | $166,780 | $100,950 | $322,090 | 22,460 | 0.84 |
| North Dakota | $135,890 | $87,610 | $229,150 | 2,140 | 0.92 |
| Ohio | $140,870 | $82,190 | $273,760 | 27,360 | 0.91 |
| Oklahoma | $132,460 | $69,910 | $238,250 | 6,670 | 0.72 |
| Oregon | $156,460 | $100,890 | $277,820 | 7,610 | 0.71 |
| Pennsylvania | $145,610 | $83,180 | $286,240 | 32,180 | 0.98 |
| Puerto Rico | $90,660 | $55,820 | $170,900 | 3,800 | 0.75 |
| Rhode Island | $166,940 | $97,180 | $304,310 | 2,570 | 0.95 |
| South Carolina | $136,160 | $78,930 | $277,850 | 9,020 | 0.72 |
| South Dakota | $159,700 | $113,930 | $232,240 | 1,000 | 0.4 |
| Tennessee | $141,010 | $83,080 | $288,750 | 17,630 | 0.99 |
| Texas | $164,860 | $98,250 | $309,290 | 71,870 | 0.94 |
| Utah | $150,450 | $87,550 | $282,980 | 8,860 | 0.94 |
| Vermont | $128,690 | $81,230 | $220,750 | 1,790 | 1.09 |
| Virgin Islands | $94,990 | $64,070 | $172,000 | 170 | 1 |
| Virginia | $185,220 | $108,760 | $323,300 | 20,850 | 0.94 |
| Washington | $174,840 | $115,250 | $318,450 | 12,930 | 0.67 |
| West Virginia | $113,140 | $73,260 | $199,920 | 2,610 | 0.69 |
| Wisconsin | $139,720 | $83,100 | $236,620 | 15,530 | 0.98 |
| Wyoming | $124,910 | $64,140 | $203,230 | 730 | 0.48 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for financial managers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 65,600. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 1.4%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for financial managers
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- 5 years or more
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Accounting and Computer Science CIP 30.1601
- Financial Analytics CIP 30.7104
- Risk Management CIP 52.0215
- Accounting and Finance CIP 52.0304
- Accounting and Business/Management CIP 52.0305
- Finance, General CIP 52.0801
- International Finance CIP 52.0806
- Public Finance CIP 52.0808
- Credit Management CIP 52.0809
- Financial Risk Management CIP 52.0810
- Finance and Financial Management Services, Other CIP 52.0899
Licenses and certifications
Chartered Financial Analyst
CFA Institute
Certified Management Accountant
Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)
Requirements for regulated professions are set by each state. Always confirm with the state regulator.
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Establish and maintain relationships with individual or business customers or provide assistance with problems these customers may encounter.
- Oversee the flow of cash or financial instruments.
- Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of workers in branches, offices, or departments of establishments, such as branch banks, brokerage firms, risk and insurance departments, or credit departments.
- Recruit staff members.
- Evaluate data pertaining to costs to plan budgets.
- Oversee training programs.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- SAP software (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Alteryx software (hot technology)
- IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Marketo Marketing Automation (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Microsoft SQL Server (hot technology)
- Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- Microsoft Visual Basic (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Service Orientation, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management.
Common job titles: Accounting Supervisor, Banking Center Manager (BCM), Branch Manager, Business Banking Manager, Credit Administration Manager, Credit Manager, Financial Center Manager, Financial Planning Manager, Financial Reporting Manager, Financial Systems Manager.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do financial managers make?
The national median annual wage for financial managers was $166,570 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $94,310 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $323,270. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do financial managers need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with 5 years or more of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is financial managers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of financial managers to change +9.7% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 65,600 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay financial managers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were New York ($219,880), Massachusetts ($206,760), New Jersey ($199,110). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.