Financial Specialists: Schools and Careers

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Overview
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Financial Specialists - Career Information

Financial Specialists

Financial specialists sell products and services for financial institutions. Financial specialists help their customers determine their short-term and long-term financial objectives. They provide their clients various financial instruments. They also offer insurance and provide investment services. Financial specialists typically have experience in banking or sales and hold a bachelor's degree. Some financial specialists work as insurance executives or in the accounting field.

Responsibilities

Obtain a thorough understanding of financial instruments and insurance
Assess client's needs
Explain the details of financial instruments and insurance to clients
Evaluate the success level of the financial plan
Assist clients with making changes to the financial plan
Analyze financial data

Job Characteristics

Financial specialists need good marketing and sales skills. They also should have good communication and customer service skills. Financial advisors need good math skills and should be detail oriented. A financial advisor also needs a solid foundation with financial software programs.

Employment Outlook

Growth in the profession has been caused by the deregulation in the financial industry. Baby boomers looking for financial advice are also increasing the demand for financial specialists.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the median annual wage for financial specialists in 2008 was $57,150.

Education, Certification, and Licensing

Typically, employers are seeking candidates that have a bachelor's degree in finance or marketing. Useful courses include economics, global finance and math. Usually on-the-job training is provided for the financial products and services that the company offers. Financial specialists are required to get special licenses to sell securities and insurance.

Resources

Major Employers

The major employers are banks, insurance companies and credit unions.

Schools for Financial Specialists are listed in the column to the left.

The Top Cities tab shows employment statistics for Financial Specialists by major metro area.

The Top Industries tab shows which industries have the most jobs for Financial Specialists, along with salary data by industry.

The Find Schools tab lets you search for schools by field of study, degree level, and location.

Metro Area	Jobs	Salary (2008)	Relative Popularity
ALABAMA
Huntsville	160	$69,980	0.7
Montgomery	100	$64,390	0.6
Birmingham	230	$55,890	0.4
Mobile	30	$59,260	0.2
ALASKA
Anchorage	270	$56,390	1.6
ARIZONA
Phoenix	1,330	$56,760	0.7
Tucson	110	$54,480	0.3
ARKANSAS
Little Rock	230	$45,100	0.6
Fayetteville	70	$37,630	0.3
Fort Smith	30	$32,020	0.3
CALIFORNIA
Sacramento	3,110	$55,170	3.2
San Francisco	2,480	$93,720	2.3
Oxnard	720	$52,260	2.3
San Diego	2,120	$60,220	1.5
Oakland	1,250	$72,610	1.1
San Jose	930	$72,210	0.9
Merced	50	$51,840	0.9
Salinas	130	$70,520	0.8
Riverside	1,100	$47,860	0.8
Bakersfield	220	$60,570	0.8
Santa Rosa	150	$49,190	0.8
Fresno	230	$58,620	0.6
Santa Barbara	110	$68,620	0.6
Chico	40	$61,140	0.6
Vallejo	70	$42,680	0.6
Stockton	120	$59,790	0.5
San Luis Obispo	40	$50,260	0.4
Modesto	50	$67,230	0.3
COLORADO
Denver	2,050	$67,150	1.5
Greeley	80	$43,260	1.1
Colorado Springs	220	$73,240	0.8
CONNECTICUT
Hartford	610	$64,610	1
Waterbury	50	$61,580	0.8
Danbury	50	$42,070	0.7
New Haven	110	$66,650	0.4
Norwich	40	$59,290	0.3
DELAWARE
Dover	30	$79,370	0.6
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington	4,440	$85,840	1.8
FLORIDA
Jacksonville	1,620	$53,560	2.5
Fort Walton Beach	150	$73,190	2
Palm Bay	390	$69,010	1.9
Fort Lauderdale	1,230	$59,410	1.5
Pensacola	220	$64,330	1.4
Tallahassee	240	$61,320	1.4
Miami	1,520	$56,220	1.4
Tampa	1,860	$54,390	1.4
West Palm Beach	660	$66,500	1.1
Cape Coral	240	$53,790	1.1
Sarasota	300	$62,380	1.1
Orlando	1,180	$57,920	1
Gainesville	110	$58,020	0.9
Ocala	70	$54,860	0.7
Deltona	110	$43,740	0.7
Sebastian	30	$49,840	0.7
Port St. Lucie	80	$55,890	0.6
Panama City	40	$60,940	0.6
Lakeland	120	$55,550	0.6
GEORGIA
Warner Robins	290	$65,000	6.2
Atlanta	2,880	$48,490	1.1
Albany	60	$61,510	1
Macon	60	$44,860	0.6
Athens	30	$43,560	0.4
Savannah	60		0.4
Columbus	40	$56,900	0.4
Augusta	40	$55,060	0.2
HAWAII
Honolulu	500	$62,980	1.1
IDAHO
Pocatello	40	$48,710	1.5
Boise	160	$54,070	0.6
ILLINOIS
Bloomington	170	$65,490	2.5
Chicago	8,190	$76,570	2
Peoria	230	$68,360	1.3
Springfield	110	$58,200	1.1
Champaign	90	$66,210	1
Kankakee	30	$62,140	0.9
Rockford	80	$55,530	0.5
INDIANA
Indianapolis	1,190	$63,470	1.2
Kokomo	30	$52,410	0.9
Muncie	30	$58,150	0.7
South Bend	90	$44,430	0.6
Gary	80	$50,790	0.3
Fort Wayne	60	$52,430	0.3
Evansville	40	$49,690	0.2
IOWA
Des Moines	430	$54,670	1.2
Davenport	160	$64,780	0.8
Iowa City	50	$35,170	0.7
Cedar Rapids	60	$38,710	0.4
Waterloo	30	$40,880	0.4
KANSAS
Wichita	120	$73,420	0.4
Topeka	40	$62,370	0.4
KENTUCKY
Louisville	890	$52,730	1.3
Lexington	320	$56,670	1.2
Elizabethtown	40	$63,280	1
LOUISIANA
New Orleans	570	$51,140	1
Baton Rouge	170	$68,750	0.4
MAINE
Bangor	80	$54,610	1.3
Portland	210	$57,500	1
MARYLAND
Baltimore	2,850	$53,920	2
Bethesda	820	$74,020	1.3
Hagerstown	40	$47,190	0.4
MASSACHUSETTS
Boston	2,950	$70,440	1.6
Lowell	110	$55,400	0.9
Lawrence	40	$52,280	0.7
Haverhill	40	$60,010	0.5
Barnstable	40	$45,250	0.4
Springfield	120	$60,220	0.4
Framingham	60	$54,480	0.4
Worcester	60	$71,060	0.2
MICHIGAN
Lansing	800	$58,780	4
Saginaw	190	$56,100	2.5
Ann Arbor	400	$56,660	2.3
Warren	2,830	$68,110	2.2
Jackson	100	$47,540	2
Flint	250	$71,250	1.8
Kalamazoo	230	$51,980	1.6
Grand Rapids	640	$50,130	1.6
Muskegon	90	$49,010	1.6
Battle Creek	70	$69,800	1.5
Holland	150	$71,350	1.5
Niles	70	$44,590	1.2
MINNESOTA
Minneapolis	3,750	$64,560	1.9
St. Cloud	90	$51,160	0.9
Duluth	80	$56,670	0.6
MISSISSIPPI
Gulfport	90	$63,820	0.8
Jackson	80	$69,120	0.3
MISSOURI
Jefferson City	60	$48,800	0.9
Kansas City	870	$69,670	0.8
St. Louis	900	$63,790	0.6
Springfield	40	$45,310	0.2
MONTANA
Missoula	30	$27,100	0.6
Billings	40	$52,940	0.5
NEBRASKA
Lincoln	60	$52,330	0.4
Omaha	130	$58,390	0.3
NEVADA
Reno	90	$63,680	0.4
Las Vegas	400	$49,330	0.4
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Portsmouth	250	$69,170	4.6
Manchester	370	$72,010	3.5
Nashua	310	$70,590	2.2
Rochester	30	$52,530	0.6
NEW JERSEY
Trenton	770	$72,640	3.4
Edison	1,500	$66,270	1.3
Newark	1,440	$68,420	1.3
Camden	700	$64,240	1.2
Vineland	50	$69,780	0.9
Atlantic City	120	$63,940	0.8
NEW MEXICO
Santa Fe	100	$43,770	1.6
Albuquerque	320	$59,250	0.8
NEW YORK
New York	7,330	$76,160	1.3
Buffalo	760	$62,950	1.3
Albany	380		0.8
Syracuse	250	$47,090	0.8
Utica	70	$52,460	0.5
Rochester	170	$50,650	0.3
Poughkeepsie	60	$71,500	0.2
NORTH CAROLINA
Charlotte	4,020	$70,210	4.2
Fayetteville	260	$34,320	2.1
Winston-Salem	370	$57,530	1.6
Jacksonville	40	$63,690	1.1
Raleigh	540	$54,830	1
Asheville	160	$44,870	0.9
Greensboro	270	$69,750	0.7
Greenville	30	$61,150	0.4
Wilmington	50	$51,930	0.3
Hickory	40	$51,230	0.2
NORTH DAKOTA
Fargo	60	$55,540	0.5
OHIO
Dayton	800	$68,650	1.9
Cleveland	2,000	$60,720	1.7
Cincinnati	1,450	$55,920	1.3
Akron	280	$52,480	0.8
Toledo	170	$50,650	0.5
Canton	80	$53,000	0.4
Youngstown	60	$49,420	0.2
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma City	120	$68,850	0.2
Tulsa	50	$60,270	0.1
OREGON
Corvallis	50	$45,090	1.8
Portland	1,390	$62,310	1.2
Eugene	150	$44,720	1
Salem	150	$46,010	1
Medford	60	$49,500	0.7
PENNSYLVANIA
State College	50	$45,510	0.9
Harrisburg	300	$67,420	0.9
Philadelphia	1,400	$67,220	0.7
Pittsburgh	730	$64,960	0.6
Erie	70	$39,220	0.5
Allentown	80	$58,010	0.2
Scranton	60	$54,650	0.2
RHODE ISLAND
Providence	930	$60,280	1.5
SOUTH CAROLINA
Columbia	410	$65,460	1.1
Charleston	170	$73,520	0.5
Greenville	100	$58,340	0.3
TENNESSEE
Memphis	860	$69,580	1.3
Cleveland	40	$44,420	1.2
Clarksville	80	$40,780	1.1
Chattanooga	210	$47,420	0.9
Knoxville	230	$51,210	0.6
Johnson City	30	$45,640	0.4
TEXAS
Amarillo	140	$37,720	1.4
Corpus Christi	160	$104,810	0.9
San Antonio	700	$51,980	0.8
Dallas	1,540	$73,740	0.7
Midland	40	$47,220	0.6
Austin	470	$56,020	0.6
Tyler	50	$41,770	0.6
Houston	1,560	$80,250	0.6
Brownsville	60	$28,260	0.5
Lubbock	50	$39,160	0.4
El Paso	110	$49,620	0.4
Fort Worth	330	$53,110	0.4
Killeen	40	$50,390	0.3
McAllen	70	$33,700	0.3
UTAH
Ogden	260	$60,080	1.2
Salt Lake City	180		0.3
VERMONT
Burlington	50	$61,780	0.4
VIRGINIA
Virginia Beach	1,120	$62,070	1.4
Roanoke	190	$51,620	1.2
Richmond	730	$66,640	1.1
Charlottesville	90	$49,810	1
WASHINGTON
Bremerton	150	$66,020	1.8
Seattle	2,360	$70,530	1.5
Tacoma	290	$52,360	1
Kennewick	80	$50,370	0.9
Olympia	60	$67,150	0.6
Bellingham	50	$46,740	0.6
Spokane	120	$55,760	0.5
Yakima	40	$44,780	0.5
WEST VIRGINIA
Parkersburg	100	$58,260	1.5
Charleston	120	$49,630	0.8
Wheeling	30	$51,690	0.5
Huntington	50	$48,970	0.4
WISCONSIN
Milwaukee	870	$59,500	0.9
Wausau	50	$53,940	0.8
Green Bay	120	$41,110	0.7
Appleton	30	$52,810	0.3
Madison	90	$51,340	0.3
WYOMING
Cheyenne	40	$53,500	1

Industry	Jobs	Percent	Salary (2008)
Banking And Credit	36,560	25%	$51,810
Government	30,280	21%	$62,500
Securities And Investment	12,850	9%	$63,340
Business Management	11,920	8%	$60,130
Professional And Technical Services	8,950	6%	$60,790
Education	7,230	5%	$50,730
Insurance	6,440	4%	$56,570
Personal Services	4,170	2%	$32,830
Hospital	3,820	2%	$46,460
Office Services And Staffing	2,460	1%	$56,930
Internet Service Provider	1,610	1%	$60,430

Employment For:
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Selected Schools for Financial Specialists (including any online schools)

These schools offer particularly quick info upon request, and we have written detailed profiles for each (click school names to see the profiles).

Request info from multiple schools, by clicking the Get Info links.

School	Locations	Degrees	Quick Info
AIU Online	Online	Associate, Bachelor, Master	Get Info
Albertus Magnus College	CT	Associate, Bachelor, Master	Get Info
American InterContinental University	FL, GA, TX	Associate, Bachelor, Master	Get Info
Anthem Career College	TN	Associate	Get Info
Anthem College	AZ	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
Argosy University	AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, HI, IL, MN, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA	Bachelor, Doctorate, Master	Get Info
Argosy University Online	Online	Bachelor, Doctorate, Master	Get Info
Ashworth College	Online	Associate	Get Info
Averett University	VA	Bachelor, Master	Get Info
Baker College Online	Online	Associate, Bachelor, Doctorate, Master	Get Info
Bauder College	GA	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
Berkeley College	NJ, NY	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
Berkeley College Online	Online	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
Briarcliffe College	NY	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
Broadview University	UT	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
Brookline College	Online	Bachelor	Get Info
Brown College	MN	Bachelor	Get Info
Brown Mackie College	AL, AZ, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, MO, NM, OH, OK, SC, TX	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
California College San Diego	CA	Bachelor, Master	Get Info
Central Pennsylvania College	PA	Bachelor	Get Info
Charter College	AK, CA, WA	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
CollegeAmerica	AZ, CO, WY	Bachelor	Get Info
Colorado Technical University	CO, MO, SD	Associate, Bachelor, Master	Get Info
Colorado Technical University Online	Online	Associate, Bachelor, Master	Get Info
Computer Career Center	NM, TX	Associate, Diploma	Get Info
DeVry Institute of Technology	AB	Bachelor	Get Info
DeVry University	AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MN, MO, NC, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI	Associate, Bachelor, Master	Get Info
DeVry University Online	Online	Bachelor, Master	Get Info
DeVry University's Keller Graduate School of Management	AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, MD, MN, MO, NC, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI	Graduate Certificate, Master	Get Info
DeVry University's Keller Graduate School of Management Online	Online	Graduate Certificate, Master	Get Info
ECPI Online	Online	Associate, Bachelor, Diploma	Get Info
ECPI University	NC, SC, VA	Associate, Bachelor, Diploma	Get Info
Everest College	AZ, CO, MO, NV, ON	Bachelor, Diploma	Get Info
Everest Institute	NY, PA	Diploma	Get Info
Everest University	FL	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
Everest University Online	Online	Master	Get Info
Fortis College	FL, OH	Associate	Get Info
Golden Gate University	CA	Bachelor	Get Info
Golden Gate University Online	Online	Bachelor	Get Info
Grand Canyon University	Online	Master	Get Info
Hallmark College	TX	Bachelor	Get Info
Harrison College	IN, OH	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
Heald College	CA, HI, OR	Associate	Get Info
Herzing College	MB, ON, QC	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
Herzing University Online	Online	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
Hesser College	NH	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
ITT Technical Institute	CA, FL, ID, IN, MI, MO, NV, OH, TN, VA, WI	Associate, Bachelor, Diploma, Master	Get Info
Ivy Bridge College of Tiffin University Online	Online	Associate	Get Info
Jones International University	Online	Master	Get Info
Kaplan Career Institute	PA	Associate	Get Info
Kaplan College KHE	OH	Associate	Get Info
Kaplan University KHE	IA, MD, ME, NE	Associate, Bachelor, Master	Get Info
Kaplan University Online	Online	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
Keiser University Campus	FL	Associate, Bachelor, Master	Get Info
Keiser University eCampus Online	Online	Bachelor, Master	Get Info
Lincoln College of Technology	FL, KY, OH	Associate, Bachelor, Coursework	Get Info
Minnesota School of Business	MN	Associate, Bachelor, Diploma, Master	Get Info
Morrison University	NV	Master	Get Info
National American University Campus	CO, KS, MN, MO, NM, SD, TX	Associate, Bachelor, Master	Get Info
National College	IN, KY, OH, TN, VA, WV	Associate, Bachelor, Diploma	Get Info
Northwestern College	IL	Associate	Get Info
Norwich University	Online	Master	Get Info
Olivet Nazarene University Graduate and Continuing Studies	IL	Bachelor, Master	Get Info
Pioneer Pacific College	OR	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
Pittsburgh Technical Institute	PA	Associate	Get Info
Rasmussen College	FL, IL, MN, ND, WI	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
Rutgers Business School	NJ	Master	Get Info
Sanford Brown College	IL, MI, MO, VA, WI	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
Sanford Brown Institute	NY	Associate	Get Info
South University	Online	Associate, Bachelor, Master	Get Info
South University Campus	AL, FL, GA, SC	Associate, Bachelor, Master	Get Info
Southern Technical College	FL	Associate	Get Info
Southwest Florida College	FL	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
Stevens Henager College	ID, UT	Associate, Bachelor, Certificate, Master	Get Info
Stratford Career Institute	Online	Diploma	Get Info
Strayer University	AL, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, MD, NC, NJ, OH, PA, SC, TN, UT, VA, WV	Associate, Bachelor, Certificate, Graduate Certificate, Master	Get Info
Sullivan University	KY	Associate, Bachelor, Diploma, Master	Get Info
The University of Liverpool	Online	Master	Get Info
UEI College	CA	Associate	Get Info
University of Phoenix	AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, PR, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WY	Bachelor, Doctorate, Master	Get Info
University of Phoenix Online	Online	Bachelor, Master	Get Info
Virginia College Online	Online	Bachelor, Master	Get Info
Walden University	Online	Bachelor, Doctorate, Master	Get Info
Western International University	AZ	Bachelor, Master	Get Info

CityTownInfo Career and College Resources

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Financial Specialist Training Schools by State

We have some additional detailed pages at the state level for Financial Specialists.

Numbers in parentheses are counts of relevant campus-based schools in the state; online schools may also be available.

Alabama (45)
Alaska (6)
Arizona (37)
Arkansas (26)
California (197)
Colorado (27)
Connecticut (28)
Delaware (11)
District Of Columbia (11)
Florida (91)
Georgia (62)
Hawaii (10)
Idaho (13)
Illinois (91)
Indiana (56)
Iowa (38)
Kansas (34)
Kentucky (43)
Louisiana (26)
Maine (15)
Maryland (41)
Massachusetts (61)
Michigan (68)
Minnesota (63)
Mississippi (21)
Missouri (60)
Montana (13)
Nebraska (26)
Nevada (15)
New Hampshire (18)
New Jersey (52)
New Mexico (28)
New York (156)
North Carolina (110)
North Dakota (16)
Ohio (91)
Oklahoma (39)
Oregon (32)
Pennsylvania (127)
Rhode Island (8)
South Carolina (47)
South Dakota (16)
Tennessee (57)
Texas (127)
Utah (23)
Vermont (9)
Virginia (52)
Washington (47)
West Virginia (28)
Wisconsin (51)
Wyoming (9)

Financial Specialists: Schools and Careers

Financial Specialists - Career Information

Metro Areas Rated for Popularity (as of 2008) for:Financial Specialists

ALABAMA

ALASKA

ARIZONA

ARKANSAS

CALIFORNIA

COLORADO

CONNECTICUT

DELAWARE

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

FLORIDA

GEORGIA

HAWAII

IDAHO

ILLINOIS

INDIANA

IOWA

KANSAS

KENTUCKY

LOUISIANA

MAINE

MARYLAND

MASSACHUSETTS

MICHIGAN

MINNESOTA

MISSISSIPPI

MISSOURI

MONTANA

NEBRASKA

NEVADA

NEW HAMPSHIRE

NEW JERSEY

NEW MEXICO

NEW YORK

NORTH CAROLINA

NORTH DAKOTA

OHIO

OKLAHOMA

OREGON

PENNSYLVANIA

RHODE ISLAND

SOUTH CAROLINA

TENNESSEE

TEXAS

UTAH

VERMONT

VIRGINIA

WASHINGTON

WEST VIRGINIA

WISCONSIN

WYOMING

Career Stories (Job Profiles) for Financial Specialists

Most Popular Industries (as of 2008) for:Financial Specialists

Selected Schools for Financial Specialists (including any online schools)

CityTownInfo Career and College Resources

Link to This Resource Page (copy & paste)

Financial Specialist Training Schools by State

Related Careers

Metro Areas Rated for Popularity (as of 2008) for:
Financial Specialists

Most Popular Industries (as of 2008) for:
Financial Specialists