Financial Examiners: Job Description
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.
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What Tasks Do Financial Examiners Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of financial examiners span:
- 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.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top financial examiners draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Financial Examiners Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- AML Director (Anti-Money Laundering Director)
- Anti Money Laundering Investigator (AML Investigator)
- BSA Analyst (Business Systems Analyst)
- BSA Officer (Bank Secrecy Act Officer)
- BSA Specialist (Bank Secrecy Act Specialist)
- Bank Compliance Officer
- Bank Examiner
- Bank Secrecy Act Anti-Money Laundering Officer (BSA/AML Officer)
How Many Financial Examiners Are There?
The U.S. employs around 120,674 financial examiners working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +13.1% over the projection horizon.
Financial Examiners Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $117,139 |
| Hourly median | $56.32 |
| 10th percentile | $82,004 |
| 25th percentile | $99,572 |
| 75th percentile | $134,706 |
| 90th percentile | $152,273 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Financial Examiners Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $177,550 |
| Connecticut | $132,320 |
| New York | $127,190 |
| Washington | $110,340 |
| New Hampshire | $109,010 |
| California | $105,790 |
| New Jersey | $103,300 |
| Colorado | $99,740 |
| Illinois | $99,680 |
| Minnesota | $95,720 |
| Delaware | $95,350 |
| North Carolina | $93,900 |
| Oregon | $92,670 |
| Mississippi | $92,590 |
| Virginia | $89,950 |
| Rhode Island | $86,940 |
| Massachusetts | $85,110 |
| Pennsylvania | $84,910 |
| Wisconsin | $84,430 |
| Nevada | $84,390 |
| Maryland | $84,250 |
| Louisiana | $83,180 |
| Montana | $82,880 |
| Missouri | $82,640 |
| Tennessee | $82,630 |
| Iowa | $81,360 |
| South Dakota | $81,100 |
| North Dakota | $81,020 |
| Alabama | $80,870 |
| Kansas | $80,100 |
| Utah | $80,030 |
| Oklahoma | $79,460 |
| Indiana | $78,440 |
| Nebraska | $78,110 |
| Texas | $77,990 |
| Arizona | $77,570 |
| Kentucky | $77,140 |
| Vermont | $76,190 |
| Georgia | $76,130 |
| Florida | $75,730 |
| Idaho | $75,090 |
| New Mexico | $73,260 |
| Arkansas | $72,530 |
| South Carolina | $72,030 |
| Alaska | $70,460 |
| Maine | $69,650 |
| Michigan | $66,160 |
| Ohio | $66,090 |
| Hawaii | $63,080 |
| West Virginia | $60,440 |
| Puerto Rico | $37,100 |
Where Financial Examiners Earn the Most
Earnings for financial examiners differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $117,820 | 26.6% | 2.23 |
| Far Western US | $100,708 | 8.7% | 0.61 |
| New England | $92,973 | 3.5% | 0.87 |
| Rocky Mountains | $91,922 | 4.0% | 1.12 |
| Plains States | $83,990 | 9.2% | 1.50 |
| Southeast | $81,736 | 21.0% | 0.97 |
| Great Lakes | $80,449 | 12.8% | 1.19 |
| Southwest | $77,894 | 12.7% | 1.06 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Financial Examiners
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | CT | $194,810 | 180 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $139,790 | 1,130 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $132,190 | 900 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $131,670 | 11,310 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | LA | $117,230 | 40 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $111,780 | 210 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $109,450 | 170 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | CT | $108,130 | 140 |
Which Industries Hire Financial Examiners
The bulk of financial examiners are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Insurance | 40,260 | $86,490 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 5,960 | $84,120 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2,560 | $66,910 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 840 | $79,910 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 340 | $111,540 |
| Information | 140 | $82,870 |
| Educational Services | 70 | $59,700 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 50 | $60,540 |
Financial Examiners work in the following industries:
Software Financial Examiners Use
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: R (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of financial examiners reflects the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Sitting
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Contact With Others
Education and Training
Entry-level financial examiners positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Security Managers (Supplemental)
- Financial Managers (Primary-Long)
- Treasurers and Controllers (Primary-Short)
- Investment Fund Managers (Supplemental)
- Compliance Managers (Primary-Short)
- Management Analysts (Supplemental)
- Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists (Supplemental)
- Accountants and Auditors (Primary-Short)
Degree Programs
Aspiring financial examiners typically earn programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
3 programs across 2 majors
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services
2 programs across 2 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 13-2061.00 (Financial Examiners).
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