Financial Managers

What Financial Managers Do

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

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

5 years or more

On-the-job training

None

Self-employed

2.4%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.7/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 4.3/5
• Economics and Accountingimportance 4.1/5
• Mathematicsimportance 3.7/5
• Administrativeimportance 3.7/5
• Law and Governmentimportance 3.6/5
• Personnel and Human Resourcesimportance 3.5/5
• Sales and Marketingimportance 3.4/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• E-Mail5.0/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.8/5
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.7/5
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.7/5
• Telephone Conversations4.6/5

Related Careers

• Accountants and Auditors
• Financial and Investment Analysts
• Personal Financial Advisors
• Credit Analysts
• Loan Officers
• Financial Risk Specialists
• Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
• Financial Examiners

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Marketing Managers99% skill match
• Advertising and Promotions Managers99% skill match
• Human Resources Managers99% skill match
• Compensation and Benefits Managers99% skill match
• Accountants and Auditors98% skill match
• Sales Managers98% skill match
• Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare98% skill match
• Art Directors98% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.6/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.6/5
• Service Orientationimportance 3.6/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.6/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.6/5
• Time Managementimportance 3.6/5
• Management of Personnel Resourcesimportance 3.6/5
• Persuasionimportance 3.4/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Integrity
• Attention to Detail
• Dependability
• Leadership Orientation
• Cautiousness
• Achievement Orientation
• Social Orientation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• EnterprisingHigh
• ConventionalHigh
• SocialMedium
• InvestigativeLow
• ArtisticLow
• RealisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where financial managers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT3.29× national avg
2. 2Bloomington, IL2.93× national avg
3. 3Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT2.32× national avg
4. 4Trenton-Princeton, NJ1.89× national avg
5. 5New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ1.75× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Accountants and AuditorsCareer Change
• Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales AgentsCareer Change
• Medical and Health Services ManagersLateral Move
• Marketing ManagersLateral Move

See the full career path from Financial Managers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.