Financial Examiners
SOC code 13-2061 · O*NET-SOC 13-2061.00 · Considerable preparation needed · Business and finance
Bright Outlook — O*NET expects rapid growth for this occupation
Financial Examiners pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$94,160
a year
Hourly
$45.27
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$106,240
$51.08 per hour
Middle 50%
$70,660 – $129,600
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$56,230 – $174,200
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
67,830
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
- 10th percentile
- $56,230
- $27.04/hr
- 25th percentile
- $70,660
- $33.97/hr
- Median percentile
- $94,160
- $45.27/hr
- 75th percentile
- $129,600
- $62.31/hr
- 90th percentile
- $174,200
- $83.75/hr
Job outlook · federal projection 2024–34
+19%
Growing much faster than average
65,100
jobs in 2024
77,200
projected for 2034
About 12,100 more jobs
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections, 2024–34. Projections describe the broader occupation group and are estimates, not guarantees.
What does a financial examiner do?
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.
The tasks that matter most day to day
- 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 a financial examiner
Most people in this role hold bachelor's degree — 87% of workers surveyed reported it as their level of education.
Preparation level: zone 4 — Considerable preparation needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Education reported by people doing this job
- Bachelor's Degree87%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate9%
- Master's Degree4%
Common questions
How much does a financial examiner earn?
The national median is $94,160 a year. The full range runs from $56,230 at the 10th percentile to $174,200 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.
Can you become a financial examiner without a degree?
Not usually — this occupation sits in preparation zone 4, where the typical entry route is most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not. The education breakdown above shows what people in the role actually reported.
Is financial examiner in demand?
Federal projections expect employment to grow by about 19% between 2024 and 2034 — growing much faster than average. Openings also come from people retiring or changing jobs, which the growth figure does not count.
Skills and knowledge you need
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.1/5
- Critical Thinking4.1/5
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Writing4.0/5
- Speaking4.0/5
- Monitoring3.9/5
- Mathematics3.6/5
- Active Learning3.6/5
Knowledge areas
- English Language4.3/5
- Economics and Accounting4.1/5
- Law and Government3.2/5
- Mathematics3.1/5
- Administration and Management3.0/5
- Computers and Electronics2.6/5
Transferable strengths: Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making.