How to become a Financial Risk Specialist
Official title: Financial Risk Specialists
Also called: Analyst, Equity Research Analyst, Risk Analyst, Risk Manager, Risk Specialist, Securities Analyst
Analyze and measure exposure to credit and market risk threatening the assets, earning capacity, or economic state of an organization. May make recommendations to limit risk.
How to become one
Financial analysts typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation.
Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree
Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Risk Management Analyst (Energy).
- College: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $117,330 a year The middle half earn $83,980 to $158,250.
- About 66,000 people work in this job now, and about 70,800 are projected by 2035. (+7.4%)
- People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Financial Risk Specialist?
Financial analysts typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation.
How much does a Financial Risk Specialist earn in the US?
Median full-time pay is $117,330 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $83,980 to $158,250.
Is a Financial Risk Specialist a growing career in the US?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 7% by 2035, from about 66,000 to about 70,800 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become a Financial Risk Specialist?
Usually. 67% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Will AI change the work of a Financial Risk Specialist?
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.
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.