A finance degree is a highly sought after and valuable commodity that opens up a range of high paying and powerful jobs in every industry. Because these jobs are focused on financial management, they sit at the heart of business and personal issues for companies and individuals. For these reasons, a finance degree is a great asset to have today. Here are some of the top job positions available with a finance degree.

Financial Advisor

For those who have a lot of income and need good financial advice on how to best manage this money, they will often call a financial advisor. Their basic advice normally revolves around investments so they are often experts in the best types of investments for the client that fit their long and short term financial goals. They also have advance knowledge in tax law and insurance. A financial advisor will often work closely with other finance players in different disciplines to insure the best advice and opportunities are available to the client.

Financial Analyst

Financial analysts can be found in many different industries where they determine the impact of operations, investments and other factors that impact a company’s financial health and its return of investment. They often work as consultants, advising clients who may be individuals or organizations on their finances and making sure they align with their financial goals. These may be short term or long term goals and provide the impact of stocks, bonds, pensions, and 401Ks. Financial Analysts typically hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in finance and often have a master in finance degree.

Actuary

Insurance companies determine how to price their insurance policies and who they will cover based primarily on the work of actuaries. An actuary gathers all of the statistical health and other relevant information relating to a target group and then forecasts the likely health outcomes from that pool. Their work is built around predicting the probability of something taking place within the group including sickness injury and yes, death. They also conduct probability analysis on property and other things an insurer may wish to insure. Their findings are used by insurance underwriters to establish a price, for an insurance policy that is high enough to insure that the insurance company can cover claims and other expenses and still make an adequate profit for itself.

Loan Officer

At some point in the lives of most people, they will find themselves face to face with a loan officer. Loan officers are the professionals that take the lead on behalf of companies that make car, home, business, personal and every other type of loan. Loan officers work at banks, finance companies, credit unions and other financial institutions and often have a range of skills including financial analysis, risk assessment, and sales. The loan officer oversees the client’s entire loan process from the preparation of all necessary documentation, to the collection and verification of all relevant client data, to the potential negotiation of loan terms and fees.

Treasurers

Treasurers are typically one of the highest level financial positions available and also have one of the highest levels of pay. Treasurers set financial plans, goals, and budgeting for their respective organizations and oversee every financial aspect of an organization, and manage all types of investments and any necessary fund raising. These executives will often have a high degree of autonomy and may report to a board rather than a CEO level person. Treasurers typically hold advanced financial degrees in several areas of finance including economics or business administration.

Every job position above requires a deep understanding of the intricacies of finance and therefore the need for a degree in finance is paramount. The payoff is a high paying powerful skill set that will always be in demand.