Is a career in finance stressful?
The median annual wage for business and financial occupations is $46,310 higher than the median annual wage for all occupations. Drawbacks of a career in finance can include high stress, long working hours, continuing education requirements, and, in some cases, limited job stability.
Both finance and accounting are technically challenging fields, so which one you find harder depends on your individual interests and strengths. Though there is some overlap between the two fields, finance typically offers a broader scope of work.
Cons of getting a finance degree
Long hours: Many finance jobs require long hours, particularly in investment banking and other high-pressure roles. Stressful work environment: The finance industry can be stressful, particularly during economic uncertainty or market volatility.
- Financial Consultant.
- Financial Analyst.
- Accounting.
- Portfolio Manager.
- Personal Financial Advisor.
- Internal Auditor.
- Financial Planning & Analysis Manager.
- Insurance Advisor (Risk Manager)
- Most stressful job in finance : Investment Banker (M&A or capital markets professional) ...
- Second most stressful job in finance : Trader. ...
- Third most stressful job in finance : Risk management & Compliance.
Financial careers often involve high barriers to entry, stiff competition among applicants, and a lot of stress. Still, these jobs offer numerous perks, including a challenging work environment, interaction with highly motivated and intelligent colleagues, opportunities for advancement, and excellent pay.
It's normal to have these thoughts and it's good to ask these kind of questions before you get into it. Believe it or not, mastery of advanced math skills is not necessary to have a career in finance. With today's technology, all math-related tasks can be done by computers and calculators.
How satisfied are finance students compared to other degrees? Overall, finance students rate their satisfaction with their degree a 3.1 out of 5. This is low compared to other degrees which average a rating of 3.28 across all degrees.
Finance major degree coursework. As a finance major, you study finance-related topics, including math, economics, and statistics. You can expect to take several math classes like accounting, calculus, and business math.
Finance Salary in California. $74,000 is the 25th percentile. Salaries below this are outliers. $107,600 is the 75th percentile.
Why is the finance industry so stressful?
Finance companies often have high stakes and intense workloads due to the fast-paced nature of the industry. However, it ultimately depends on the specific role and company culture. It's important to consider your own preferences and strengths when deciding which industry may be more stressful for you.
The finance industry is infamous for struggling to create a positive work/life balance because of its long hours and intensely competitive nature. Achieving work/life balance includes being proactive in requesting flexibility with work hours, remote work, and time.
Portfolio management is a prestigious role in the finance industry. Portfolio managers, also known as money managers, directly oversee institutional and retail client investments in their daily work. They have a great responsibility.
While jobs in tech or finance are big draws for introverts, as these industries are conducive to introverted tendencies such as independent work and creative problem-solving, other non-tech roles are equally suitable for this personality type, Eva Chan, a career expert at Resume Genius, tells CNBC Make It.
- Investment banker.
- Hedge fund manager.
- Financial analyst.
- Information technology auditor.
- Financial software developer.
- Private equity associate.
- Chief compliance officer.
- Chief financial officer.
While both finance and accounting can be difficult majors, accounting is considered more difficult because it requires more discipline and a lot of math. Accounting is more complex because it relies on precise sets of arithmetic principles.
- Stress: Some finance professionals find that their roles or industries feature stressful work environments. ...
- Long hours: Employees in the financial sector might also work overtime or unusual business hours, such as evenings and weekends.
Still, a career in finance isn't for everyone. If talking about money bores you, for example, you might want to choose a different path. Similarly, if math was never your subject, it's not a dealbreaker, but it is a skill you'll need to practice regularly in this field.
A strong financial acumen, attention to detail, excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work well under pressure are all desirable traits which employers seek.
One thing to consider when choosing to study finance is that much of what you study during your degree program will include a mix of economics and accounting, which is naturally going to require at least some math, so if you absolutely detest math, then this may not be the right degree for you.
Is finance more difficult than accounting?
No, finance is not harder than accounting.
Accounting is more complex because it relies on precise sets of arithmetic principles. Finance, on the other hand, requires just a grasp of economics and accounting without going into as much mathematical detail as accounting.
As a finance degree heavily depends on financial analysis and modeling, students may find the material more difficult if they struggle with mathematical concepts. However, students seeking an economics degree might have difficulty understanding abstract ideas like economic theory and policy analysis.
