The salary expectations for various finance jobs are:
Commercial Banking: Banking is a margin business. Thus, high salaries are uncommon in this sector. Starting salaries in commercial banking for a bachelor's degree were in the range of between $40,000 and $60,000 in 2009. You can expect a salary in the $80,000-$120,000 range after gaining experience of around ten years in banking.
Job Level
Salary
Prerequisite (degree + yrs experience)
Trainee/credit analyst
$48K
Bachelor's Degree
Junior Loan Officer
$60K
Bachelor's + 3 years
Loan Officer
$100K
5-7 years
Senior Corporate Loan Officer
$115K
10 years
Mortgage Originator
$40K
1 year or more
Financial Analyst
$58K
3 years or more
Personal Banker
$40K
1-3 years
Corporate Finance:
Job Level
Salary
Rookie Financial Analyst - Smaller Firm
$35-$50K
Rookie Financial Analyst - Large Firm
$40-$50K
Seasoned Financial Analyst - Smaller Firm
$50-$65K
Seasoned Financial Analyst - Large Firm
$63-$81K
Tax Manager
$92-$130K
Assistant Treasurer
$88-$113K
Chief Financial Officer – Big Firm
$260-$390K
Chief Financial Officer – Smaller Firm
$95-$125K
Financial Planning and Wealth Managers: The median salary for financial planners was $70,000 in 2008. While the salaries of people who work for companies are somewhat lower, those working at franchisees earn the least. The salary distribution in this business is highly skewed.
Insurance sector:
Job Level
Salary
Actuary Entry Level
$50-$80K
Actuary - Senior
$160-$400K
Agent/Broker
$40-$70K
Claims Adjuster
$40-$50K
Underwriter
$45-$80K
Investment Banking:
Job Level
Salary
Prerequisite (degree + yrs experience)
First Year Analyst
$60K-$150K
Bachelor's Degree
Third Year Analyst
$120K-$300K
Bachelor's
First Year Associate
$150K-$250K
MBA
Third Year Associate
$250-$450K
MBA
Vice President
$350K-$1MM
3-6 years
Director / Principal
$400K-$1.5MM
5-10 years
Managing Director / Partner
$500K-$20MM
7-10 years
Department Head
$800K-$70MM
10+ years
Money Management: Salaries of analysts in the starting positions at leading mutual funds, pension funds and bank trust departments are between $60,000 and $80,000. While a jobs at a state pension fund or a bank trust department will get paid in the $90,000 to $180,000 range, those at a private fund may get around $500,000.
Real Estate:
Job Level
Salary
Residential Property Manager
$65K
Residential Real Estate Agent
$54K
Financial Analyst in a Real Estate Company
$60K
Project Manager
$90K
Mortgage Lender
$110K