The finance industry is famously hard-driving and high-paying. Even those starting on the bottom rung can expect to earn a good wage compared with other fields.
You may not walk into your dream job right away, but once you're in the door there’s plenty of room to evolve, move up, and find your niche.
First, you have to get your foot in the door.
Education Requirements
An undergraduate college degree is required for nearly all positions at financial institutions. Ideally, your degree should demonstrate an aptitude for working with numbers. An academic background in economics, applied mathematics, accounting, business, or computer sciences is preferred for most jobs in finance.
When you're just starting out in finance, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree is not critical. Several years of financial or business work experience before acquiring an MBA helps your career move forward.
Internships Are a Steppingstone
Internships are as prized as degrees. Many financial firms visit campuses to recruit for summer internships. Some hold symposia, workshops, or networking opportunities for potential hires. An example is the Goldman Sachs Possibilities Summit.
Internships are tough to secure, but they’re invaluable. They not only provide contacts and experience but often lead directly to a spot in the company’s training program after graduation—or, at least, into the inner circle of applicants.
Continuing Financial Education
If you have already graduated, continuing education is a way to boost your qualifications and demonstrate your commitment to a financial sector career. Industry-specific credentials such as a chartered financial analyst (CFA), certified public accountant (CPA), or certified financial planner (CFP) designation can help your job prospects, depending on the particular area of finance that you are targeting.
In the U.S., professionals who plan to deal with investments and finance must pass a series of licensing exams. In the past, you had to be sponsored by a financial institution even to take one of these tests. However, since 2018, when the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) finalized the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam, it can be taken without sponsorship.
The 75-question, 105-minute SIE exam is ideal for “demonstrating basic industry knowledge to prospective employers,” according to the FINRA website.
Lack of Diversity in the Financial Industry
Progress is slowly being made in the historic lack of diversity in the financial industry.
According to the CFP Board, the professionals who received CFP certification in 2024 made up its most diverse group ever. The number of ethnic minorities who received certification totaled 10,239, a growth rate of 8.8% over the previous year. They now make up only 9.9% of all CFP-certified professionals.
The number of women in the group grew by 1,720, giving them 23.8% representation in the industry.
Nonprofits and advocacy groups like the Alliance of Black Women Accountants and the National Association of Black Accountants support people of color who are working in finance or want to work in it. 100 Women in Finance, the Greenwood Project, and Blackstone Future Women Leaders Program provide support to people of color and women in the workplace.
There are grants and scholarships designed to help finance majors earn their degrees. Among them are:
- National Association of Black Accountants National Scholarship
- Minorities in Government Finance Scholarship
- The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Scholarship Award for Minority Accounting Students
- The Tang Scholarship
Looking for Finance Jobs: Best Entry-Level Positions
The key is to identify the most rewarding entry-level jobs in terms of salary and future career prospects and think hard about which might be the best fit for your abilities and interests. When you have narrowed down which interests you the most, you can begin your search.
Aside from your network of friends and family, online job sites are a logical place to search for entry-level finance roles. LinkedIn, Indeed, and Monster are among the biggest job sources.
You might also scour sites that specialize in financial industry jobs or resources, such as eFinancialCareers, BrokerHunter, or 10X EBITDA (for investment banking).
Below are some of the job titles that include positions for entry-level candidates.
Financial Analyst
Financial analysts work for investment companies, insurance companies, consulting firms, and other corporate entities.
They are responsible for consolidating and analyzing budgets and income statement projections. They prepare reports, conduct business studies, and develop forecast models. Financial analysts research economic conditions, industry trends, and company fundamentals.
Financial analysts often recommend a course of action for corporate investing, reducing costs, and improving financial performance.
Along with a bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or economics, a candidate should have robust information technology (IT) skills.
The BLS estimated that there were about 404,800 financial analyst jobs in the American economy in 2023, and projects an average growth rate of 9% for the profession through 2032. According to the BLS, financial analysts earned a median salary of $99,890 in 2023.
Investment Banking Analyst
Investment banking is one of the most prestigious areas of the financial sector. These institutions (or divisions of bigger institutions) help corporations, venture capital firms, wealthy individuals, and even governments with their capital requirements.
Investment banks underwrite new debt and equities, prepare for issuing securities, manage the process of taking companies public, facilitate mergers and acquisitions, and broker trades.
An investment banking analyst usually fills an entry-level role at an investment bank, hedge fund, or venture capital firm. The analysts produce deal-related materials, perform industry research and financial analyses of corporate performance, and collect materials for due diligence.
Their recommendations based on the interpretation of financial data often play a role in determining whether certain deals will go forward.
The average investment banking analyst’s starting salary was $81,207 in 2025, according to Payscale, a compensation analysis site.
Candidates should have a bachelor’s degree in economics, finance, or management, and this is one job for which a master’s degree helps.