Occupation · SOC 11-3031
Financial Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate accounting, investing, banking, insurance, securities, and other financial activities of a branch, office, or department of an establishment.
Median wage
$161,700
$86,490–—
Projected growth
+14.8%
Faster than average
Annual openings
12,880
per year
Employed (US)
818,620
Job Zone 4
Typical preparation
Considerable preparation
Stackable credential programs
382 mapped
Core skills
SpeakingReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive ListeningWritingMonitoringTime ManagementSocial PerceptivenessService OrientationManagement of Personnel ResourcesJudgment and Decision MakingCoordinationComplex Problem SolvingMathematicsActive LearningPersuasionNegotiationManagement of Financial ResourcesSystems EvaluationSystems AnalysisLearning StrategiesInstructingManagement of Material ResourcesQuality Control AnalysisProgrammingOperations MonitoringOperations AnalysisTechnology DesignTroubleshootingScienceEquipment SelectionOperation and ControlRepairingInstallationEquipment Maintenance
Knowledge areas
Customer and Personal ServiceAdministration and ManagementEconomics and AccountingMathematicsAdministrativeLaw and GovernmentPersonnel and Human ResourcesSales and MarketingEnglish LanguageEducation and TrainingComputers and ElectronicsCommunications and MediaPsychologyPublic Safety and SecurityProduction and ProcessingTelecommunicationsForeign LanguageSociology and AnthropologyPhilosophy and TheologyGeographyMechanicalTransportationTherapy and CounselingDesignEngineering and TechnologyBuilding and ConstructionHistory and ArcheologyFood ProductionFine ArtsMedicine and DentistryPhysicsChemistryBiology
Technology & tools
ADP Workforce NowARES Corporation PRISM Project EstimatorAccounting softwareAccounts receivable softwareAdobe AcrobatAlteryx softwareBlackbaud The Raiser's EdgeCredit management softwareDatabase softwareDelphi TechnologyFileMaker ProFund accounting softwareHealthcare common procedure coding system HCPCSHuman resource information system (HRIS)Human resource management software HRMSIBM Cognos ImpromptuIBM NotesIBM Power Systems softwareIBM SPSS StatisticsInternet browser softwareIntuit QuickBooksLexisNexisMarketo Marketing AutomationMicroStrategyMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft DynamicsMicrosoft Dynamics GPMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft ExchangeMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft ProjectMicrosoft SQL ServerMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft VisioMicrosoft Visual BasicMicrosoft Visual Basic for Applications VBAMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Word
Representative tasks
Working with ComputersEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProcessing InformationGetting InformationMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsCoaching and Developing OthersGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersAnalyzing Data or InformationUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleDeveloping and Building TeamsScheduling Work and ActivitiesDocumenting/Recording InformationDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationTraining and Teaching OthersProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersPerforming Administrative ActivitiesPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsThinking CreativelyStaffing Organizational UnitsSelling or Influencing OthersMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationAssisting and Caring for OthersInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsPerforming General Physical ActivitiesControlling Machines and ProcessesOperating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentHandling and Moving ObjectsRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentDrafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Customer account records — organize and maintain under direct supervision to support relationship management in a bank branch or financial services office.Cash flow transactions — monitor and document following established protocols in a supervised financial operations environment.Departmental activity logs — compile and review with guidance to assist coordinators in tracking branch or office operations.Job postings and candidate materials — prepare and submit under direction to support staff recruitment processes in a financial institution.Budget input data — gather and categorize cost figures under supervision to assist managers with preliminary budget planning.Training schedules and materials — distribute and track completion records in support of supervised employee development programs.Accounting software reports — generate standard outputs and flag discrepancies for review by senior financial staff.Customer inquiries — respond to routine questions using approved scripts and escalate complex issues to experienced managers.Financial policies and procedures — read and apply to daily tasks with oversight, ensuring compliance in a regulated industry setting.Time-sensitive financial documents — organize and route accurately, applying time management skills in a fast-paced office environment.
developing
Customer relationships — cultivate and sustain independently for a portfolio of individual or business clients in a branch banking or brokerage setting.Cash and financial instrument flows — oversee daily operations with reduced supervision, identifying irregularities and initiating corrective action in a financial operations unit.Branch or departmental activities — coordinate across multiple staff roles with moderate oversight, ensuring efficient workflow in a regional office.Recruitment processes — manage end-to-end candidate sourcing and screening using human resources software, supporting timely staffing of financial teams.Budget variance reports — analyze cost data using financial analysis software and recommend adjustments to departmental spending plans.Employee training programs — administer and monitor progress, adapting delivery schedules to meet evolving skill needs within a financial services department.Business intelligence tools — utilize to produce recurring performance reports and surface actionable insights for management review.Complex customer problems — assess and resolve by applying critical thinking and knowledge of financial products in a client-facing service environment.CRM software records — maintain and query to track customer interactions, ensuring data accuracy across a financial services portfolio.Personnel scheduling and workload allocation — manage to optimize team productivity in a branch or credit department setting.
proficient
Customer and business client relationships — develop and sustain at a strategic level, resolving escalated problems and identifying growth opportunities across a full institutional portfolio.Cash flow and financial instrument oversight — direct autonomously across all operational accounts, implementing controls and responding to non-routine liquidity issues in a multi-department environment.Branch, office, or departmental operations — lead and optimize across the full scope of an establishment, including brokerage, risk, insurance, or credit functions, with minimal oversight.Staffing strategy — design and execute comprehensive recruitment plans, applying judgment in candidate evaluation and workforce planning for a financial division.Budget development — analyze complex cost data using financial analysis and database tools, construct detailed operating budgets, and present recommendations to senior leadership.Training program design — develop, oversee, and evaluate employee training initiatives that align skill development with regulatory requirements and organizational performance goals.Financial risk assessment — apply deductive and inductive reasoning to identify exposure areas and recommend mitigation strategies within a regulated financial institution.Cross-functional coordination — lead collaboration between finance, compliance, HR, and operations teams to resolve complex, non-routine organizational challenges.Enterprise financial software — configure and leverage accounting, ERP, and business intelligence systems to streamline reporting and decision-making across a financial organization.Regulatory and legal compliance — interpret applicable law and government requirements and ensure departmental practices align with standards in a financial services context.
advanced
Organizational financial strategy — set long-range direction and establish institutional priorities for financial performance, growth, and risk management at the executive level.Enterprise cash and capital management — lead policy development for overseeing all financial instrument flows across a large institution, ensuring capital adequacy and liquidity resilience.Multi-site or multi-department leadership — direct the activities of managers across branches, offices, or divisions, driving alignment with corporate financial and operational goals.Talent acquisition and workforce strategy — establish institution-wide recruitment frameworks, succession plans, and hiring standards that attract top financial management professionals.Enterprise budget governance — champion organization-wide budgeting processes, setting resource allocation priorities based on integrated cost analysis and strategic objectives.Learning and development culture — sponsor and evaluate enterprise training programs, holding leadership accountable for staff capability growth and regulatory readiness across the institution.Executive stakeholder relationships — represent the organization to major clients, regulators, investors, and partners, using persuasion and social perceptiveness to advance institutional interests.Organizational risk and compliance framework — define and enforce integrity-centered governance structures that protect the institution from financial, legal, and reputational exposure.Technology and data infrastructure strategy — lead adoption of next-generation financial analysis, CRM, and enterprise management platforms to drive competitive advantage at scale.Mentorship and leadership development — cultivate the next generation of financial managers by modeling achievement orientation, cautiousness, and ethical decision-making across the organization.
Also known as
59 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Accountant SupervisorAccounting DirectorAccounting ManagerAccounting SupervisorAccounts ManagerAccounts Payable ManagerAccounts SupervisorActuarial ManagerAsset ManagerATM Manager (Automated Teller Machine Manager)Auditing ManagerAuditor SupervisorAuto Finance Manager (Automotive Finance Manager)Bank Branch ManagerBank ManagerBanking Branch ManagerBanking Center Manager (BCM)Banking ManagerBanking SupervisorBranch ManagerBudget ManagerBusiness Banking ManagerCash ManagerCity ComptrollerCollections ManagerComptrollerCost Accounting ManagerCredit Administration ManagerCredit and Collection ManagerCredit Department ManagerCredit ManagerCredit Office ManagerCredit Union ManagerDistrict Branch ManagerExchange Floor ManagerFinance DirectorFinance ManagerFinancial Center ManagerFinancial DirectorFinancial Institution Branch Manager