Published May 20, 2026 9 min read
Unless otherwise noted, salary and labor market data sourced from Lightcast/U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2026. Salaries reflect US national wage distributions.
Exploring careers in financial management offers significant earning potential for students and young adults. With roles ranging from entry-level positions starting around $98,798 to top-tier executive roles reaching up to $371,064 annually, this field provides a clear path to high-earning opportunities. Understanding these top careers can help you strategize your education and skill development to achieve your financial goals.
1. Chief Financial Officer
Salary: Median: $210,868 | Entry: $152,875 | Top: $262,285
What you’d do day-to-day: As a Chief Financial Officer, you’d manage your company’s financial operations, including planning and analyzing financial strengths and weaknesses. You’d propose corrective actions based on your analysis and meticulously track cash flow, using leadership and communication skills to guide strategic decision-making and budgeting.
Typical education: Bachelor’s degree
Top skills: Leadership, Management, Budgeting, Forecasting, Operations, Communication, Planning, Decision Making
Top employers: Alvarez & Marsal, B2B Cfo Partners, Robert Half, GPAC, Cherry Bekaert
Top certifications: Certified Public Accountant, Master Of Business Administration (MBA), Chartered Financial Analyst
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2. Accounting Partner
Salary: Median: $167,618 | Entry: $126,601 | Top: $371,064
What you’d do day-to-day: As an Accounting Partner, you’d manage client accounts, developing and maintaining strong communication to promote sales and services. You’d resolve problems with a detail-oriented approach, applying leadership and management skills, often utilizing tools like Microsoft Excel, to oversee client relationships and firm profits.
Typical education: Bachelor’s degree
Top skills: Communication, Sales, Management, Leadership, Operations, Microsoft Excel, Detail Oriented, Problem Solving
Top employers: Lumen Technologies, Xerox, Moss Adams, Google, SAP
Top certifications: Certified Public Accountant, Master Of Business Administration (MBA), Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Certified
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3. Investment Banking Partner
Salary: Median: $194,639 | Entry: $145,110 | Top: $247,044
What you’d do day-to-day: As an Investment Banking Partner, you’d be a high-level finance manager or executive, directing and planning investment activities. Your role involves significant leadership and management, using strong communication and presentation skills to drive sales and conduct detailed research for strategic operations.
Typical education: Bachelor’s degree
Top skills: Communication, Management, Leadership, Presentations, Sales, Research, Detail Oriented, Operations
Top employers: JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Selby Jennings, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs
Top certifications: Chartered Financial Analyst, Master Of Business Administration (MBA), FINRA Series 7 (General Securities Representative)
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4. Vice President / Director of Finance
Salary: Median: $189,689 | Entry: $144,050 | Top: $243,026
What you’d do day-to-day: As a Vice President or Director of Finance, you’d manage the daily financial activities of a company, overseeing accounting, bookkeeping, and financial administration. You’d use your leadership, management, and communication skills to direct budgeting, forecasting, and planning, often presenting financial insights.
Typical education: Bachelor’s degree
Top skills: Leadership, Management, Communication, Operations, Budgeting, Forecasting, Planning, Presentations
Top employers: JPMorgan Chase, Lumen Technologies, Sedgwick, Goldman Sachs, BNY Mellon
Top certifications: Master Of Business Administration (MBA), Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Financial Analyst
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5. Financial Planning Manager
Salary: Median: $172,456 | Entry: $141,731 | Top: $221,902
What you’d do day-to-day: As a Financial Planning Manager, you’d lead the budgeting process and prepare financial statements and forecasting reports. You’d supervise accounting staff, advise management on finance decisions, and use your leadership, management, and communication skills, often with Microsoft Excel, to make informed decisions.
Typical education: Bachelor’s degree
Top skills: Forecasting, Budgeting, Leadership, Management, Communication, Planning, Microsoft Excel, Decision Making
Top employers: Lumen Technologies, Humana, Robert Half, Cardinal Health, Sumitomo Pharma
Top certifications: Master Of Business Administration (MBA), Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Financial Analyst
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6. Financial Reporting Manager
Salary: Median: $164,076 | Entry: $147,626 | Top: $203,846
What you’d do day-to-day: As a Financial Reporting Manager, you’d manage the production of financial reports for your company, including corporate accounting and earnings reports for stakeholders. You’d collect data, analyze it, and manage the filing of reports, using strong communication, leadership, and detail-oriented problem-solving skills, often with Microsoft Excel.
Typical education: Bachelor’s degree
Top skills: Communication, Management, Leadership, Microsoft Excel, Research, Detail Oriented, Problem Solving, Forecasting
Top employers: Healthcare Services Group, Robert Half, Alvarez & Marsal, Creative Financial Staffing, Accenture
Top certifications: Certified Public Accountant, Master Of Business Administration (MBA), Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Certified
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7. Financial Services Manager
Salary: Median: $163,906 | Entry: $119,217 | Top: $219,760
What you’d do day-to-day: As a Financial Services Manager, you’d oversee an organization’s financial or insurance services, supervising other professionals. You’d coordinate with sales and marketing teams on financial services placement, leveraging your communication, leadership, and customer service skills in a consulting capacity.
Typical education: Bachelor’s degree
Top skills: Communication, Management, Leadership, Sales, Consulting, Operations, Coaching, Customer Service
Top employers: PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Accenture, Charles Schwab, New York Life
Top certifications: Master Of Business Administration (MBA), Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Financial Analyst
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8. Financial Manager (General)
Salary: Median: $161,264 | Entry: $121,424 | Top: $199,846
What you’d do day-to-day: As a Financial Manager, you’d direct and plan a company’s financial activities, preparing financial statements and forecasting reports. You’d supervise accounting staff, advise management on finance decisions, and apply strong communication, leadership, and management skills, often using Microsoft Excel for budgeting and operations.
Typical education: Bachelor’s degree
Top skills: Communication, Management, Leadership, Forecasting, Operations, Budgeting, Sales, Microsoft Excel
Top employers: Amazon, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ryder, Robert Half
Top certifications: Master Of Business Administration (MBA), Certified Public Accountant, Valid Driver’s License
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9. Controller (General)
Salary: Median: $155,385 | Entry: $137,169 | Top: $181,234
What you’d do day-to-day: As a Controller, you’d oversee the treasury of your organization and the investment of funds. You’d ensure the quality of accounting and financial reporting, directing the preparation of reports that show the financial position of the organization, utilizing leadership, budgeting, and forecasting skills with a detail-oriented approach, often in Microsoft Excel.
Typical education: Bachelor’s degree
Top skills: Budgeting, Leadership, Forecasting, Operations, Management, Communication, Detail Oriented, Microsoft Excel
Top employers: Robert Half, Creative Financial Staffing, Vaco, GPAC, CyberCoders
Top certifications: Certified Public Accountant, Master Of Business Administration (MBA), Certified Management Accountant
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10. Cost Accounting Manager
Salary: Median: $155,408 | Entry: $135,412 | Top: $178,435
What you’d do day-to-day: As a Cost Accounting Manager, you’d manage the accounting processes focused on reducing and controlling costs for your company. You’d advise leadership on actions to maximize cost efficiency and control future costs, applying your management, leadership, and problem-solving skills, often with Microsoft Excel, for forecasting and budgeting.
Typical education: Bachelor’s degree
Top skills: Operations, Forecasting, Budgeting, Management, Communication, Leadership, Microsoft Excel, Problem Solving
Top employers: Robert Half, Aston Carter, Vaco, Tyson Foods, GXO Logistics
Top certifications: Certified Public Accountant, Master Of Business Administration (MBA), Chartered Financial Analyst
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11. Revenue Manager
Salary: Median: $150,637 | Entry: $110,662 | Top: $204,298
What you’d do day-to-day: As a Revenue Manager, you’d manage the revenue flows for an organization, preparing financial statements and forecasting reports. You’d supervise accounting and the preparation of financial reports, advise management on finance decisions, and apply communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills, often in sales and collections operations.
Typical education: Bachelor’s degree
Top skills: Communication, Leadership, Operations, Management, Sales, Problem Solving, Collections, Forecasting
Top employers: PricewaterhouseCoopers, Hilton, Intermountain Health, Cribl, Confluent
Top certifications: Master Of Business Administration (MBA), Certified Public Accountant, Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR)
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12. Accounting Manager
Salary: Median: $150,881 | Entry: $127,208 | Top: $178,249
What you’d do day-to-day: As an Accounting Manager, you’d manage your company’s accounting department, directing staff who prepare financial statements, forecasting reports, and tax filings. You’d monitor accounting data, implement policies, and advise management on finance decisions, using your leadership, management, and communication skills with a detail-oriented approach, often in Microsoft Excel for budgeting.
Typical education: Bachelor’s degree
Top skills: Management, Communication, Leadership, Operations, Microsoft Excel, Detail Oriented, Budgeting, Problem Solving
Top employers: Robert Half, Vaco, Creative Financial Staffing, Aston Carter, GPAC
Top certifications: Certified Public Accountant, Master Of Business Administration (MBA), Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Certified
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13. Assistant Controller
Salary: Median: $146,792 | Entry: $120,592 | Top: $177,835
What you’d do day-to-day: As an Assistant Controller, you’d support the controller in managing the cash flows and financial activities of your organization. You’d assist in budget development, ensure regulatory and tax compliance, contribute to staff development, and perform other accounting and financial duties, applying your communication, management, and detail-oriented skills, often with Microsoft Excel, for forecasting.
Typical education: Bachelor’s degree
Top skills: Communication, Management, Budgeting, Operations, Leadership, Forecasting, Detail Oriented, Microsoft Excel
Top employers: Robert Half, Creative Financial Staffing, Vaco, Aston Carter, Jobot
Top certifications: Certified Public Accountant, Master Of Business Administration (MBA), Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Certified
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14. Mortgage Manager
Salary: Median: $138,926 | Entry: $98,798 | Top: $198,636
What you’d do day-to-day: As a Mortgage Manager, you’d oversee mortgage operations for a branch or organization, including sales, budgeting, and administration. You’d support business strategy development, new products, and supervise sales managers, leveraging your management, leadership, and communication skills, with a focus on customer service and coaching.
Typical education: Bachelor’s degree
Top skills: Sales, Management, Communication, Operations, Customer Service, Leadership, Coaching, Writing
Top employers: Truist Financial, Royal Bank of Canada, Tag Lending, Carrington, Wells Fargo
Top certifications: Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS), Mortgage License, Certified Radiology Administrator
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The financial management sector offers a wide array of high-paying career opportunities for those with strong analytical, leadership, and communication skills. Whether you’re interested in corporate finance, investment, or accounting, there’s a path for you to achieve significant professional and financial success. Explore these roles further and discover how your talents can make an impact. Create a free profile on Tallo.com