Top Careers in Finance ( In Detail )

Introduction

Finance, as an educational discipline, is a broad topic that includes a variety of career opportunities. A financial professional is among the highest paying job in any job market. The knowledge of finance is very much essential for individuals, businesses, and the government for the management of money and other financial resources.

The substantial application of money economics is managed by the financial professional. Finance, as a career, is a lucrative opportunity. Along with opportunities for career advancement and high salaries, a finance career requires a strong academic background, attention to detail and the ability to work under pressure.

Finance Professionals are responsible for managing financial operations, analyzing data to make financial decisions, and creating financial strategies for individuals, businesses, corporate organizations or government.

Importance of Finance

Finance is important for individuals, businesses, corporations and the government. From managing the income of an individual to managing the national budget, knowledge of finance is prominent. Along with this finance includes a wide range of activities, including investing, borrowing, lending, budgeting, forecasting, managing risks. Some of the importance of finance are:

  1. The knowledge of finance helps individuals and businesses invest in assets that increase the value and generate income.
  2. Finance helps businesses and individuals in raising capital for investment and operation.
  3. Finance provides knowledge to individuals and businesses to manage different financial and non-financial risks through insurance, hedging and diversification.
  4. Budgeting and financial forecasting is another essential use of finance knowledge. Businesses forecast future expenses, revenue, and cash flows.
  5. Finance plays a crucial role in facilitating economic growth. Finance is responsible for ensuring effective and efficient allocation of resources and encouraging financing and investing activities.
  6. The knowledge of finance is essential for analyzing financial statements for assessing investing opportunities and for making informed decisions.
  7. It is the responsibility of the finance profession to plan for taxes and optimize the tax liability of individuals, businesses and corporations.
  8. Finance is responsible for tax planning, preparation and compliance services for individuals or businesses.

Profession in Finance 

There are various professions in finance that require different skill sets and qualifications. Some of the most lucrative profession in the field of finance are:

AccountantFinancial Analyst
Investment BankerFinancial Planner
Risk ManagerInsurance Underwriter
Fund ManagerFinancial Controller
Credit AnalysisTax Accountant
ActuaryTrader
Quantitative AnalystVenture Capitalist

Accountant

The Accountant Profession is of the opportunities in finance. Accountants are responsible for preparing and analyzing financial statements, bookkeeping, tax planning and compliance. Accounting requires specialized skills and experience. The earning potential of an accountant is highly dependent on factors like location, experience and industry. Accountants in urban areas earn comparatively higher than accountants in rural areas. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary of an accountant was $73,331 as of 2022.

There are different types of Accountant jobs:

Financial AccountantManagement Accountant
Cost AccountantForensic Accountant
Investment Accountant Auditor

Financial Analyst

They are responsible for conducting financial research, analyzing financial data and preparing financial reports for investment opportunities and informed decision making. It is one of the charming professions in the field of finance. Individuals with specialized skill and experience have growth potential in this profession.

As per the report by U.S. bUreau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary of a financial analyst was $86,991 in 2022 with a decent additional cash compensation.

Some of the different profession under this are: 

Investment AnalystEquity Analyst
Fixed Income AnalystCredit Analyst
Portfolio AnalystRisk Analyst
Quantitative AnalystCorporate Finance Analyst
Real Estate AnalystEconomic Analyst

Investment Banker

They are finance professionals who are responsible for financial advisory services for mergers and acquisitions, underwrites securities offering and raises capital for companies, debt and equity issuances, conducting due diligence, marketing financial securities etc.

This profession is a highly lucrative career choice. As per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage of an investment banker is $ 162,715.

Some of the different profession under Investment Banker are:

Compliance SpecialistSales and Trading
Derivative SpecialistEquity Research Analyst
Debt Capital Market SpecialistMerger and Acquisition (M&A) Specialist
Structured Finance SpecialistCorporate Finance Specialist
Risk Management Specialist

Financial Planner

Financial planners are those professionals who are responsible for helping individuals and businesses develop financial plans to achieve their financial goals, retirement planning and operational risk. They have higher demand for retirement planning, estate planning, tax planning, budgeting etc.

Financial planners made a median salary of $ 94,170 in 2021. Financial planner requires a high level of interpersonal skills, sales ability, and regulatory compliance knowledge.

Some of the different professions under Financial planner are:

Certified Financial PlannerTax Advisor
Wealth ManagerEstate Planning Attorney
Investment AdvisorFinancial Analyst
Insurance AdvisorRetirement Planning Specialist

Insurance Underwriter

Insurance underwriters are professionals who are responsible for risk assessment associated with individuals, businesses and other entities. Such professionals are responsible for planning and executing insurance policies after careful considerations of rules and regulations, likelihood of claim, premium policies, client’s demographics, lifestyle etc.

Insurance underwriters are policy makers or reviewers for any insurance based business. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for insurance underwriters in 2020 was $73,040.

Some of the different professions under Insurance Underwriters are:

Life Insurance UnderwritersHealth Insurance Underwriters
Property Insurance UnderwritersProperty Insurance Underwriters
Marine Insurance UnderwritersCasualty Insurance Underwriters
Aviation Insurance UnderwritersReinsurance Underwriters
Environment Insurance UnderwritersSurety Bond Underwriters
Political Insurance UnderwritersCyber Insurance Underwriters

Risk Manager

Risk managers are responsible for identifying, assessing, and managing financial risks for individuals or companies. There are different types of risks associated like credit risk, market risk, interest risk and operational risks. Risk managers have the responsibility to identify the possible risks and prevent such risks.

As per the GlassDoor and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , the median annual wage for Risk Manager was around $ 1,34,180 as of May 2022.

Some of the responsibilities under Risk Manager are:

Credit Risk ManagerOperational Risk Manager
Environmental Risk ManagerMarket Risk Manager
Project Risk ManagerEnterprise Risk Manager
Vendor Risk ManagerInsurance Risk Manager
Financial Risk ManagerInformation Security Risk Manager
Cyber Risk ManageCompliance Risk Manager

Fund Manager

Fund manager is a profession who is responsible for managing financial data, assessing risk and making investment decisions on the behalf of individuals, institutions, or corporations. The most prominent roles and responsibilities of a fund manager are; Portfolio Management, Investment Research, Risk Management, Investment Strategy, Client Relationship Management, Compliance, Reporting etc.

As per Payscale, the average base salary of a fund manager in the U.S. is $ 96,000 per year.

Some of the professional responsibilities of a fund managers are:

Fund AccountantTrader
Client Service ManagerRisk Manager
Compliance OfficerInvestment Analyst
Portfolio Manager

Credit Analyst

Credit Analysts are financial professionals who are responsible for analyzing the credit behavior and credit worthiness of individual or institutional borrowers. They determine the ability of clients to pay back their liabilities. Some of the primary functions of credit analysts are; Analyzing Financial Statements, Conducting Industry and Market Analysis, Evaluating Credit Risks, Monitoring Credit Performance, Managing Credit Portfolios etc.

As per the report by The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average medium annual wage of financial analysts, which includes credit analysts, was $ 83,660 as of May 2020.

Some of other professional responsibilities under credit analysts are:

Credit AnalystPortfolio Manager
Loan OfficerCredit Risk Analyst
UnderwriterCredit Operations Manager
Risk Manager

Financial Controller

A financial controller is an executive level financial professional. Financial Controllers are responsible for managing the financial operations of an entity. They ensure the financial health of the company from statement to process, standard to policy. Some of the key responsibilities of a financial controller are; Financial Reporting, Budgeting and Forecasting, Internal Controls, Tax Compliance, Cash Management, Financial Analysis, Team Management etc.

The average base salary for a financial controller in the United State is around $ 89,000 per year (Payscale). There is a high demand for such financial experts as they handle all the financial activities in an entity.

Some of the other responsibilities of Financial Controller are:

Financial AnalystAccounting Manager
Treasury ManagerTax Manager
Internal AuditorFinancial Systems Manager
Financial Planning and Analysis Manager

References

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