Finance & fintech careers

14 paths from our 150-career library, compared on the numbers that matter — median pay runs $48k to $115k. Every profile below includes the full roadmap, honest pros and cons, and a networking playbook.

ActuaryActuarial science · median $115k · 6–12 monthsModel losses and lifetimes in Excel and R, defend your assumptions to product teams, and study for the next exam at lunch.Financial Planner (CFP track)Wealth management · median $100k · 1–2 yearsSit with real families' money fears and goals, then build and tend the plan — equal parts therapist and strategist.Financial AnalystCorporate finance · median $95k · 6–12 monthsBuild models, explain variances, and turn messy business questions into a defensible number by Friday.Data AnalystAnalytics & BI · median $85k · 3–6 monthsPull and clean data in SQL, chase down why a number moved, and turn it into a chart someone will actually act on.Accountant (CPA track)Accounting · median $80k · 6–12 monthsClose the books, hunt down a reconciliation that's $412 off, and turn the ledger into answers an auditor or owner will sign.Compliance OfficerRegulatory compliance · median $80k · 6–12 monthsClear alerts, investigate the weird ones, translate new regulation into workable policy, and tell powerful people no — nicely.Insurance UnderwriterRisk assessment · median $78k · 6–12 monthsRead broker submissions, dig through loss runs and financials, price the risk, and defend your yes, your no, or your yes-at-a-price.Credit AnalystCredit risk · median $75k · 3–6 monthsSpread financials, write the credit memo, and defend your risk rating when the lender really wants a yes.Loan OfficerLending · median $70k · 3–6 monthsQuote rates, chase documents, calm anxious buyers, and work your realtor partners between every call.Claims AdjusterInsurance claims · median $65k · 3–6 monthsWork the pending: inspect damage, read coverage, interview claimants, and settle fairly before the next storm adds fifty files.Enrolled Agent (Tax Pro)Tax · median $55k · 3–6 monthsPrepare returns, decode IRS letters, talk a panicked client off the ledge, then represent them when the IRS wants answers.Payroll SpecialistPayroll · median $55k · 3–6 monthsAudit timecards, chase two missing approvals, run the register, triple-check the off-cycle bonus, and hit transmit before the bank cutoff.Freelance BookkeeperFreelance bookkeeping · median $55k · 3–6 monthsReconcile three clients' books over coffee, chase one contractor for missing receipts, and send month-end reports owners actually read.BookkeeperBookkeeping · median $48k · 3–6 monthsCategorize the feed, reconcile the bank, chase missing receipts, and hand an owner books they finally trust.

Which of these fits you? The 4-question quiz scores every career on pay vs. meaning, your way. Take the match quiz →