---

Financial Planning & Services

Types of Degrees Financial Planning & Services Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Financial Planning & Services may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	14
Associate’s Degree	11
Bachelor’s Degree	764
Master’s Degree	3,222
Doctor’s Degree	16

What Financial Planning & Services Majors Need to Know

Studies in Financial Planning & Services develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Financial Planning & Services graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Financial Planning & Services emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Economics and Accounting — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Sales and Marketing — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Financial Planning & Services program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Financial Planning & Services careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Financial Planning & Services graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Financial Planning & Services professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Sage 50 Accounting	Accounting software	—
Oracle PeopleSoft	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Fund accounting software	Accounting software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Financial Planning & Services graduates include:

• Financial Advisor
• Money Manager
• Investment Consultant
• Financial Consultant
• Account Manager
• Fiscal Specialist
• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
• Personal Banker
• Real-Time Energy Trader
• Wholesale Account Executive
• Hybrid Derivatives Trader
• Banker
• Premier Banker
• Financial Specialist
• Banker Associate

What Can You Do With a Financial Planning & Services Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Financial Planning & Services commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents	9.2%	$49,944	$39,642–$60,245

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Financial Planning & Services graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	48.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	22.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	6.9%
Doctoral degree	6.2%
Master’s degree	5.6%
Some college courses	4.9%
Postsecondary certificate	4.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Financial Planning & Services?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 68.2% of Financial Planning & Services degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,834	31.8%
Men	3,939	68.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Financial Planning & Services graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,503	43.4%
Asian	169	2.9%
Hispanic or Latino	147	2.5%
Black or African American	157	2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	17	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	5	0.1%
Two or More Races	82	1.4%
Race Unknown	2,610	45.2%
International Students	83	1.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Financial Planning & Services Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Financial Planning & Services graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$60,617
4 years	$75,528
5 years	$88,287

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $88,287 — roughly 46% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Financial Planning & Services Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Financial Planning & Services. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	5	8
Master’s	11	6
Doctoral (Research)	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Financial Planning & Services Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Financial Planning & Services graduates earn a median of $75,528 four years after completion — roughly 99% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Business Administration and Management, General	336,590
Accounting	58,956
Finance and Financial Management Services	57,564
Finance, General	49,828
Business Statistics	5,396
Accounting and Finance	3,502
Actuarial Science	1,363
Accounting and Business/Management	1,270
Banking and Financial Support Services	992
Investments and Securities	414
Finance and Financial Management Services, Other	363
Auditing	178

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.