How to become a Financial Examiner

Official title: Financial Examiners

Also called: Bank Examiner, Bank Secrecy Act Anti-Money Laundering Officer (BSA/AML Officer), Community Reinvestment Act Officer (CRA Officer), Compliance Analyst, Compliance Specialist, Credit Union Examiner, Credit Union Field Examiner, Examining Officer, Internal Auditor

Enforce or ensure compliance with laws and regulations governing financial and securities institutions and financial and real estate transactions. May examine, verify, or authenticate records.

Main tasks

• Direct and participate in formal and informal meetings with bank directors, trustees, senior management, counsels, outside accountants, and consultants to gather information and discuss findings.
• Recommend actions to ensure compliance with laws and regulations, or to protect solvency of institutions.
• Prepare reports, exhibits, and other supporting schedules that detail an institution's safety and soundness, compliance with laws and regulations, and recommended solutions to questionable financial conditions.
• Resolve problems concerning the overall financial integrity of banking institutions including loan investment portfolios, capital, earnings, and specific or large troubled accounts.
• Investigate activities of institutions to enforce laws and regulations and to ensure legality of transactions and operations or financial solvency.
• Review balance sheets, operating income and expense accounts, and loan documentation to confirm institution assets and liabilities.
• Plan, supervise, and review work of assigned subordinates.
• Review audit reports of internal and external auditors to monitor adequacy of scope of reports or to discover specific weaknesses in internal routines.

How to become one

Financial examiners typically need a bachelor's degree that includes some coursework in accounting. Entry-level examiners are trained on the job by senior examiners.

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• College: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $94,160 a year The middle half earn $70,660 to $129,600.
• About 70,000 people work in this job now, and about 76,500 are projected by 2035. (+9.3%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Financial and Investment Analysts
• Accountants and Auditors
• Appraisers of Personal and Business Property
• Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate
• Budget Analysts
• Credit Analysts

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Financial Examiner?

Financial examiners typically need a bachelor's degree that includes some coursework in accounting. Entry-level examiners are trained on the job by senior examiners.

How much does a Financial Examiner earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $94,160 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $70,660 to $129,600.

Is a Financial Examiner a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 9% by 2035, from about 70,000 to about 76,500 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Financial Examiner?

Usually. 76% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Financial Examiner?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.