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Financial Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate accounting, investing, banking, insurance, securities, and other financial activities of a branch, office, or department of an establishment.

Zone 4: Considerable Preparation Needed

US Market Salary

US Estimate
$133,400/year Median Annual Salary
$64.13/hour Median Hourly Salary

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) & US Job Market Estimate 2026

DNA Career Insights

With a median annual salary of $133,400/year, a career as a Financial Managers offers a competitive financial return compared to average vocational baselines in the United States. In terms of professional alignment, this role matches strongly with the Enterprising interest category. Success in this field typically requires individuals who thrive on leadership initiatives, business management, and strategic persuasion, allowing them to effectively perform day-to-day duties.

Navigating entry into this field requires educational preparation aligned with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4). For candidates who cultivate the requisite skill profiles, this pathway remains a stable, long-term option in the changing United States job market.

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Job Requirements Profile

Key abilities, skills, and activities necessary to perform successfully in this role.

Oral Comprehension 4.12/5.0
Written Comprehension 4.12/5.0
Oral Expression 4.12/5.0
Deductive Reasoning 4.00/5.0
Speech Clarity 4.00/5.0
Written Expression 3.88/5.0
Reading Comprehension 4.00/5.0
Active Listening 4.00/5.0
Speaking 4.00/5.0
Critical Thinking 4.00/5.0
Writing 3.75/5.0
Monitoring 3.75/5.0
Working with Computers 4.34/5.0
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships 4.31/5.0
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates 4.28/5.0
Processing Information 4.27/5.0
Getting Information 4.23/5.0
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards 4.22/5.0
Integrity 2.89/5.0
Attention to Detail 2.74/5.0
Dependability 2.65/5.0
Leadership Orientation 2.46/5.0
Cautiousness 2.28/5.0
Achievement Orientation 2.17/5.0

Daily Occupational Tasks

  • Approve, reject, or coordinate the approval or rejection of lines of credit or commercial, real estate, or personal loans.
  • Communicate with stockholders or other investors to provide information or to raise capital.
  • Develop or analyze information to assess the current or future financial status of firms.
  • Establish and maintain relationships with individual or business customers or provide assistance with problems these customers may encounter.
  • Establish procedures for custody or control of assets, records, loan collateral, or securities to ensure safekeeping.
  • Evaluate data pertaining to costs to plan budgets.
  • Evaluate financial reporting systems, accounting or collection procedures, or investment activities and make recommendations for changes to procedures, operating systems, budgets, or other financial control functions.
  • Examine, evaluate, or process loan applications.
  • Network within communities to find and attract new business.
  • Oversee the flow of cash or financial instruments.
  • Oversee training programs.
  • 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.
  • Prepare financial or regulatory reports required by laws, regulations, or boards of directors.
  • Prepare operational or risk reports for management analysis.
  • Recruit staff members.
  • Review collection reports to determine the status of collections and the amounts of outstanding balances.
  • Review reports of securities transactions or price lists to analyze market conditions.

Pros & Cons of This Profession

✓ Advantages & Pros

  • High Salary Potential: Median annual wage is $133,400/year, placing it in a premium income tier.
  • Leadership Fast-track: High visibility roles with direct opportunities for managerial growth.

✗ Challenges & Cons

  • High Academic Investment: Requires a Job Zone 4 rating, often necessitating advanced degrees or long training.
  • Precision Demands: Requires zero tolerance for operational or logging errors.

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Audited & Reviewed By

DNA Career USA Editorial & Research Board

This profile has been compiled, audited, and reviewed by our career advisors and psychometricians using O*NET 28.1 database standards and BLS employment models to ensure high-fidelity, objective information.

Data Citation & Provenance

Verify Info

This profile compiles primary career data from the O*NET 28.1 Database (sponsored by the US Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration) and wage datasets from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program. You can verify licensing and O*NET compliance details on our O*NET License & Attribution Page.

Enterprising (E) 7.0/7.0
Conventional (C) 5.6/7.0
Social (S) 3.0/7.0
Investigative (I) 2.5/7.0
Artistic (A) 1.6/7.0
Realistic (R) 1.4/7.0

Accounting software

Accounts receivable software Fund accounting software Intuit QuickBooks 🔥 Sage 50 Accounting Tax software

Document management software

Adobe Acrobat 🔥 Microsoft SharePoint 🔥

Human resources software

ADP Workforce Now Human resource information system (HRIS) Human resource management software HRMS

Business intelligence and data analysis software

Alteryx software 🔥 IBM Cognos Impromptu MicroStrategy Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition Qlik Tech QlikView Tableau 🔥

Financial analysis software

ARES Corporation PRISM Project Estimator Credit management software Delphi Technology Oracle E-Business Suite Financials

Customer relationship management CRM software

Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge Salesforce software 🔥

Data base user interface and query software

Database software FileMaker Pro Microsoft Access 🔥 Microsoft SQL Server 🔥 Oracle Database 🔥 Structured query language SQL 🔥 Yardi software 🔥

Medical software

Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS

Electronic mail software

IBM Notes Microsoft Exchange Microsoft Outlook 🔥 📈

Enterprise system management software

IBM Power Systems software

Analytical or scientific software

IBM SPSS Statistics 🔥 SAS 🔥

Information retrieval or search software

LexisNexis

Sales and marketing software

Marketo Marketing Automation 🔥

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Microsoft Dynamics Microsoft Dynamics GP NetSuite ERP Oracle Fusion Applications Oracle Hyperion Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Oracle PeopleSoft 🔥 Oracle PeopleSoft Financials SAP Business Objects SAP software 🔥 📈 Workday software 🔥

Spreadsheet software

Microsoft Excel 🔥 📈 Moody's KMV FAMAS

Office suite software

Microsoft Office software 🔥 📈

Presentation software

Microsoft PowerPoint 🔥 📈

Project management software

Microsoft Project 🔥 Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management 🔥

Process mapping and design software

Microsoft Visio 🔥

Development environment software

Microsoft Visual Basic 🔥 Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications VBA 🔥

Operating system software

Microsoft Windows 🔥

Word processing software

Microsoft Word 🔥

Object or component oriented development software

R 🔥

Data base reporting software

SAP Crystal Reports

Compliance software

Tax compliance property tax management software

Data base management system software

Teradata Database 🔥