Financial risk specialists salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $64,820 | $31.17 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $117,330 | $56.41 |
| Mean (average) | $124,420 | $59.82 |
| 90th percentile | $196,110 | $94.29 |
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 risk specialists pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 51 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $81,750 | $39,640 | $141,000 | 180 | 0.2 |
| Alaska | $85,370 | $55,860 | $131,730 | 50 | 0.34 |
| Arizona | $102,800 | $57,400 | $165,880 | 1,700 | 1.28 |
| Arkansas | $66,110 | $47,860 | $140,050 | 150 | 0.27 |
| California | $129,110 | $76,610 | $208,360 | 5,740 | 0.77 |
| Colorado | $120,300 | $75,460 | $174,770 | 1,050 | 0.89 |
| Connecticut | $113,990 | $75,080 | $208,790 | 660 | 0.95 |
| Delaware | $139,440 | $80,810 | $178,570 | 1,160 | 5.83 |
| District of Columbia | $99,230 | $82,960 | $204,930 | 210 | 0.75 |
| Florida | $99,900 | $58,080 | $172,550 | 3,770 | 0.92 |
| Georgia | $100,570 | $38,550 | $167,790 | 2,180 | 1.09 |
| Hawaii | $89,860 | $61,740 | $134,990 | 90 | 0.35 |
| Idaho | $76,870 | $51,310 | $135,780 | 270 | 0.77 |
| Illinois | $104,300 | $65,260 | $202,260 | 2,920 | 1.17 |
| Indiana | $99,250 | $52,780 | $159,050 | 380 | 0.29 |
| Iowa | $105,680 | $71,230 | $167,770 | 530 | 0.82 |
| Kansas | $84,790 | $47,430 | $208,040 | 150 | 0.25 |
| Kentucky | $74,640 | $48,310 | $107,800 | 500 | 0.61 |
| Louisiana | $58,440 | $48,660 | $82,760 | 520 | 0.66 |
| Maine | $141,020 | $64,410 | $149,990 | ||
| Maryland | $117,130 | $73,330 | $172,410 | 890 | 0.79 |
| Massachusetts | $130,400 | $71,390 | $209,200 | 1,440 | 0.96 |
| Michigan | $103,940 | $60,400 | $165,410 | 1,150 | 0.63 |
| Minnesota | $105,420 | $72,930 | $161,880 | 1,190 | 0.98 |
| Mississippi | $96,100 | $51,780 | $198,880 | 230 | 0.48 |
| Missouri | $100,620 | $60,850 | $162,140 | 1,070 | 0.89 |
| Montana | $100,920 | $82,000 | $133,500 | 50 | 0.24 |
| Nebraska | $94,280 | $58,190 | $124,750 | 250 | 0.58 |
| Nevada | $100,010 | $65,000 | $169,040 | 570 | 0.9 |
| New Hampshire | $158,320 | $82,480 | $160,060 | 300 | 1.07 |
| New Jersey | $129,220 | $81,230 | $199,030 | 2,760 | 1.57 |
| New Mexico | $87,260 | $59,170 | $132,870 | 180 | 0.49 |
| New York | $136,830 | $84,550 | $220,260 | 12,060 | 3.03 |
| North Carolina | $132,040 | $70,440 | $207,820 | 3,200 | 1.58 |
| North Dakota | $74,630 | $50,320 | $149,820 | 90 | 0.51 |
| Ohio | $98,650 | $62,710 | $163,210 | 2,110 | 0.93 |
| Oklahoma | $85,140 | $50,630 | $139,930 | 330 | 0.47 |
| Oregon | $109,580 | $64,720 | $158,250 | 430 | 0.54 |
| Pennsylvania | $103,040 | $64,700 | $172,820 | 2,370 | 0.95 |
| Puerto Rico | $60,360 | $37,320 | $77,310 | 290 | 0.75 |
| Rhode Island | $104,470 | $59,290 | $186,580 | 450 | 2.19 |
| South Carolina | $99,520 | $59,580 | $167,820 | 560 | 0.59 |
| South Dakota | $78,960 | $70,310 | $148,750 | 130 | 0.67 |
| Tennessee | $90,950 | $57,270 | $154,490 | 540 | 0.4 |
| Texas | $103,760 | $64,250 | $159,220 | 4,780 | 0.83 |
| Utah | $77,770 | $57,250 | $135,360 | 630 | 0.89 |
| Virginia | $126,510 | $77,080 | $191,720 | 1,770 | 1.05 |
| Washington | $123,150 | $64,120 | $184,630 | 900 | 0.62 |
| West Virginia | $94,350 | $56,050 | $137,660 | 50 | 0.17 |
| Wisconsin | $97,820 | $64,630 | $141,030 | 610 | 0.51 |
| Wyoming | $119,550 | $101,370 | $119,550 | 170 | 1.49 |
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 risk specialists
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 4,800. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.5%.
- 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 risk specialists
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- 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
- Financial Mathematics CIP 27.0305
- Risk Management CIP 52.0215
- Accounting CIP 52.0301
- Accounting and Finance CIP 52.0304
- Accounting and Business/Management CIP 52.0305
- Business/Managerial Economics CIP 52.0601
- Finance, General CIP 52.0801
- International Finance CIP 52.0806
- Investments and Securities CIP 52.0807
- Public Finance CIP 52.0808
- Financial Risk Management CIP 52.0810
- Actuarial Science CIP 52.1304
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical 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.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Power BI (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Python (in demand)
- R (in demand)
- Structured query language SQL (in demand)
- Tableau (in demand)
- Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
- Apache Hive (hot technology)
- Atlassian JIRA (hot technology)
- C++ (hot technology)
- Google Docs (hot technology)
- IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Linux (hot technology)
Common job titles: Analyst, Equity Research Analyst, Risk Analyst, Risk Manager, Risk Specialist, Securities Analyst.
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 risk specialists make?
The national median annual wage for financial risk specialists was $117,330 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $64,820 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $196,110. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do financial risk specialists need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is financial risk specialists a growing career?
BLS projects employment of financial risk specialists to change +7.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 4,800 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay financial risk specialists the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were New Hampshire ($158,320), Maine ($141,020), Delaware ($139,440). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.