Finance and Financial Management Services: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 52.08. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,547 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 184 | 5,295 | $51,339 | $53,418 | $21,669 8 programs |
| Associate's degree | 87 | 343 | $42,478 | $51,913 | $12,916 1 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 800 | 46,953 | $63,115 | $83,343 | $21,300 431 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 13 | 0 | Data unavailable | $124,255 | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 277 | 3,551 | $86,560 | $110,694 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 23 | 30 | $130,936 | $144,778 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 2 | 0 | $113,573 | $152,881 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 161 | 1,392 | $100,672 | $118,893 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Arizona University AZ · Public · 51 graduates measured | $54,215 | $81,688 | $15,500 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College PA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $52,980 | Data unavailable | $21,669 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona PA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $52,980 | Data unavailable | $21,669 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $52,980 | Data unavailable | $21,669 |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $52,980 | Data unavailable | $21,669 |
| Minnesota State University Moorhead MN · Public · 17 graduates measured | $52,910 | $72,369 | Data unavailable |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona AZ · Private, for-profit · 24 graduates measured | $50,169 | $61,520 | $19,243 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Area Technical College SD · Public · 40 graduates measured | $43,732 | $47,420 | $12,916 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 120 graduates measured | $154,404 | $202,069 | Data unavailable |
| University of Notre Dame IN · Private, nonprofit · 150 graduates measured | $141,543 | $160,313 | $19,500 |
| Georgetown University DC · Private, nonprofit · 64 graduates measured | $126,622 | $152,744 | $13,500 |
| Wake Forest University NC · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $116,242 | $145,996 | $19,500 |
| Washington University in St Louis MO · Private, nonprofit · 55 graduates measured | $108,590 | $185,551 | $20,750 |
| Southern Methodist University TX · Private, nonprofit · 134 graduates measured | $93,440 | $133,852 | $17,500 |
| Boston College MA · Private, nonprofit · 258 graduates measured | $92,127 | $147,746 | $19,000 |
| Fordham University NY · Private, nonprofit · 238 graduates measured | $91,218 | $141,860 | $27,000 |
| Villanova University PA · Private, nonprofit · 218 graduates measured | $90,558 | $131,996 | $25,000 |
| Brigham Young University UT · Private, nonprofit · 191 graduates measured | $89,500 | $129,879 | $7,600 |
| Santa Clara University CA · Private, nonprofit · 103 graduates measured | $88,868 | $118,737 | $17,249 |
| Howard University DC · Private, nonprofit · 53 graduates measured | $87,804 | $80,094 | $23,250 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IL · Public · 242 graduates measured | $86,669 | $119,978 | $17,127 |
| Lehigh University PA · Private, nonprofit · 129 graduates measured | $84,219 | $127,210 | $21,300 |
| Texas Christian University TX · Private, nonprofit · 90 graduates measured | $81,791 | $111,304 | $20,500 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 122 graduates measured | $243,343 | $316,195 | Data unavailable |
| Southern Methodist University TX · Private, nonprofit · 47 graduates measured | $156,986 | $155,769 | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public · 19 graduates measured | $132,662 | $164,371 | Data unavailable |
| Johns Hopkins University MD · Private, nonprofit · 41 graduates measured | $129,117 | $152,415 | Data unavailable |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus CO · Public · 19 graduates measured | $128,725 | $134,158 | Data unavailable |
| Georgetown University DC · Private, nonprofit · 85 graduates measured | $126,190 | $180,878 | Data unavailable |
| Boston College MA · Private, nonprofit · 42 graduates measured | $122,402 | $151,547 | Data unavailable |
| Tulane University of Louisiana LA · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $114,625 | $120,904 | Data unavailable |
| Northeastern University MA · Private, nonprofit · 44 graduates measured | $113,126 | $169,234 | Data unavailable |
| Northeastern University Professional Programs MA · Private, nonprofit · 44 graduates measured | $113,126 | $169,234 | Data unavailable |
| Saint Xavier University IL · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $109,573 | $100,892 | Data unavailable |
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 56 graduates measured | $109,398 | $153,797 | Data unavailable |
| Tiffin University OH · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $106,841 | $101,377 | Data unavailable |
| Creighton University NE · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $106,133 | $125,733 | Data unavailable |
| Seton Hall University NJ · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $105,736 | $125,005 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Notre Dame IN · Private, nonprofit · 55 graduates measured | $113,882 | $152,667 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $199,110 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Iowa IA · Public · 36 graduates measured | $131,241 | $131,086 | Data unavailable |
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $98,288 | $139,079 | Data unavailable |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona AZ · Private, for-profit · 21 graduates measured | $77,435 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Finance and Financial Management Services
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief executives | $213,990 | +3.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| General and operations managers | $105,770 | +5.0% | Bachelor's degree |
| Financial managers | $166,570 | +9.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists | $78,210 | +6.0% | Bachelor's degree |
| Budget analysts | $91,640 | +1.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Credit analysts | $83,510 | -4.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Financial and investment analysts | $102,740 | +7.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Personal financial advisors | $105,070 | +1.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Insurance underwriters | $81,370 | -3.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Financial risk specialists | $117,330 | +7.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Credit counselors | $52,230 | +3.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Loan officers | $76,690 | +1.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Financial specialists, all other | $81,100 | +4.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Business teachers, postsecondary | $99,080 | +5.9% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents | $78,660 | +1.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Bill and account collectors | $47,030 | -10.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Tellers | $43,030 | -13.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks | $50,080 | -7.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Loan interviewers and clerks | $50,020 | -2.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| New accounts clerks | $47,670 | -6.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (9)
- 52.0801 Finance, General
- 52.0803 Banking and Financial Support Services
- 52.0804 Financial Planning and Services
- 52.0806 International Finance
- 52.0807 Investments and Securities
- 52.0808 Public Finance
- 52.0809 Credit Management
- 52.0810 Financial Risk Management
- 52.0899 Finance and Financial Management Services, Other