The highest paying finance jobs are often occupied by MBA graduates and it's a highly popular choice for business school students considering their future career paths. According to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), 37% of prospective students want to go into finance-related roles after graduation.
An MBA or specialist master's degree can help accelerate your career in finance, qualifying you for higher-level managerial and director roles. And some of the top employers of b-school students are big-name finance firms like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan.
So what are the highest paying finance jobs?*
The Highest Paying Finance Jobs
9. Financial Analyst
Average base pay $75k+ | Top recruiters: Google, Meta
Financial analysts examine data to create better opportunities and to identify financial issues. Pursuing a financial analyst role could eventually see you earning a comfortable average salary of around $81,000.
Companies such as Paypal, Amazon and Google are seeking financial analysts with business experience and a relevant understanding of data analytics. These roles come with impressive benefits and mobility opportunities often enhanced further by an MBA or top master's degree.
8. Senior Account Executive
Average base pay $91k+ | Top recruiters: Google, X
Account executives are a key link between the product, client, and company. They also directly manage client relationships and satisfaction.
A senior account executive will have a lot of responsibility for growing a company’s revenue, and they will oversee a wider team of account executives. With some experience, they can earn around $162,000 on average.
7. Finance Associate
Average base pay $62k+ | Top recruiters: Meta, BlackRock
A finance associate creates budgets, advises on fiscal procedure, and handles payments. Average salaries for experienced associates hover around $67,000. There are opportunities across a variety of industries and regions, which are increased with an MBA or specialist degree such as a Master's in Finance.
6. Accounting Manager
Average base pay $80k+ | Top recruiters: Google, Meta
Every company has to handle its accounts, which means there are ample opportunities in accounting management across industries.
Experienced accounting managers can earn around $92,000, and even more with an MBA. This role requires management qualities, firm accounting knowledge and understanding of payroll, payments and collections, and a strong understanding of reporting and compliance.
5. Financial Manager
Average base pay $89k+ | Top recruiters: Apple, EY
MBAs and experienced masters grads are a good fit for financial management roles. Average salaries for these hotly sought-after jobs can reach an impressive $98,000 depending on experience, region and department.
Financial managers play an integral role in monitoring internal spending, creating regular reviews and leading planning and analysis of benefits and budgets.
4. Corporate or Financial Controller
Average base pay $112k+ | Top recruiters: Microsoft, Intel
One of the highest paying finance jobs, controllers are responsible for the financial and regulatory compliance of the organization.
With a serious focus on corporate finance and accounting, corporate controller roles require extensive experience, which an MBA can be a great indicator of. Experienced Master in Accounting grads can also secure these roles.
Average salaries for experienced controller roles are typically around $134,000.
3. Finance Director
Average base pay $141k+ | Top recruiters: eBay, Genentech
The finance director is the board member who oversees the day-to-day financial running of a business, creating a stable foundation and framework upon which the company can expand.
Experienced finance directors earn around $216,000 on average, but this increases significantly at big-name companies such as eBay, where they earn up to $329,000. For those entering the field of finance, an b-school degree can further boost their earning potential.
2. Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Average base pay $204k+ | Top recruiters: Alvarez & Marsel, GE
One of the most senior finance jobs within a company, the CFO is the senior executive in charge of the management of financial actions across the company as a whole. Experienced CFO salaries are huge, at $353,000 on average and significantly more at most major firms.
1. VP of Finance
Average base pay $207k+ | Top recruiters: Visa Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific
A dream role for many MBAs, the VP of finance supervises and projects the company’s financial activities and actions. While positions vary between companies, A VP of Finance can work at the same level as the CFO or one step below them, however they typically have different responsibilities.
As a major leader within the business, the VP of finance is one of the highest-ranking executives and they manage, guide and direct focus. After a number of years of experience, they can earn average salaries above the CFO, at around $368,000.
If you are looking to pursue the dizzying heights of the financial world, or take on a top role in finance in one of the world’s biggest corporations, enrolling at business school is an excellent starting point.
*2023 average base pay provided by Glassdoor, US average figures are provided
