Financial Services · Lending teams
BLS projects credit analyst jobs to decline nationally, yet the occupation clusters tightly: Charlotte has 3.9 times the national share and Phoenix about twice, so where you recruit shapes the pool as much as what you pay. Careerscape is a national staffing firm whose remote recruiters specialize in financial services and screen credit candidates on the analysis itself.
Template
Built on the core tasks O*NET lists for credit analysts. For consumer or card underwriting, swap the commercial tasks for scorecard, policy and portfolio monitoring work.
We are hiring a credit analyst to evaluate commercial borrowers and help our lenders and credit officers make sound decisions. You will analyze financial statements and tax returns, assess repayment capacity and risk, and write credit memos for loan committee.
Where they work
O*NET's sample titles for the occupation run from credit analyst and credit risk analyst to credit and collections analyst and municipal fixed income analyst. Say which version you mean.
The classic seat: spreading statements, analyzing cash flow and writing memos that go to loan committee. The analyst often works beside a relationship manager or loan officer who owns the client.
More data than documents. Analysts work with credit bureau data and decision software, tune approval policy and watch portfolio performance. SQL, SAS or Python matter more here than in a commercial seat.
Analysts at manufacturers and distributors set customer credit limits, review account files and recommend payment plans; some also handle collections on delinquent accounts. Accounts receivable experience counts.
Analysts assess issuers rather than borrowers, including municipal debt. These seats sit closer to investment teams, and a CFA, which takes three exams and 4,000 hours of experience, is a useful signal.
BLS, May 2025
Credit analysts have their own BLS occupation, so these national figures match the role directly.
Middle half of all workers (25th to 75th percentile)
The median is $83,510, and the middle half runs from $65,210 to $122,460. That spread reflects a title that covers new analysts in training programs and senior credit officers at large banks. A junior commercial analyst usually prices near the 25th percentile, an analyst who writes memos with little review near the median, and a senior analyst handling complex or large credits toward the 75th. The credit analyst salary guide has the full detail. Annual pay, all U.S. employers, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), occupation: Credit Analysts. Pay by level and city: Credit Analyst salary guide.
Screening
A resume says which loans an analyst touched. A short exercise shows whether they can do the analysis without a template doing it for them.
Give two years of statements or a business tax return for a fictional borrower. Look for correct adjustments, a reconciled spread and notes on anything unusual.
Approve, decline or restructure, and why. Strong candidates name the main risk, the mitigant and the covenant they would add. Never ask for a real memo from a current employer.
Ask how the borrower compares with others in its industry. O*NET lists this comparison as a core task, and it separates analysts who understand a business from those who only calculate ratios.
Every seat needs Excel. Consumer and portfolio roles also need SQL, SAS or Python, which O*NET flags as hot technologies for credit analysts.
If a candidate cannot explain how a cash flow figure was built, they have relied on a system to do it. That is fine for a trainee and a problem for a senior hire.
29 metros
Metro figures are BLS estimates for May 2025 for the credit analyst occupation.
| Market | Jobs | Median pay · vs. U.S. | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | 7,530 | $136,500+63% | 1.91 |
| Dallas | 3,210 | $80,530−4% | 1.92 |
| Chicago | 2,560 | $92,900+11% | 1.37 |
| Charlotte | 2,190 | $100,640+21% | 3.90 |
| Los Angeles | 2,100 | $95,640+15% | 0.81 |
| Phoenix | 1,990 | $77,020−8% | 2.03 |
| Philadelphia | 1,430 | $92,460+11% | 1.20 |
| Atlanta | 1,300 | $80,750−3% | 1.08 |
| Boston | 1,080 | $101,890+22% | 0.97 |
| Washington, DC | 1,060 | $114,700+37% | 0.82 |
| Houston | 1,010 | $79,280−5% | 0.74 |
| Miami | 940 | $77,750−7% | 0.80 |
| Detroit | 870 | $74,640−11% | 1.10 |
| San Francisco | 850 | $122,590+47% | 0.87 |
| Tampa | 820 | $78,940−5% | 1.36 |
| Seattle | 790 | $94,270+13% | 0.92 |
| Minneapolis | 690 | $84,570+1% | 0.85 |
| Denver | 540 | $81,380−3% | 0.81 |
| Nashville | 510 | $78,410−6% | 1.12 |
| Portland | 490 | $82,110−2% | 0.98 |
| Buffalo | 460 | $99,640+19% | 2.08 |
| San Diego | 440 | $95,310+14% | 0.70 |
| Baltimore | 390 | $77,460−7% | 0.69 |
| Pittsburgh | 330 | $81,580−2% | 0.72 |
| Austin | 320 | $86,920+4% | 0.59 |
| Providence | 250 | $80,970−3% | 0.86 |
| Raleigh-Durham | 220 | $80,630−3% | 0.72 |
| Hartford | 180 | $106,670+28% | 0.73 |
| Albany | 130 | Not published | 0.69 |
Charlotte is the most concentrated market we track, with a location quotient of 3.9, 2,190 jobs and a $100,640 median. Buffalo (2.08), Phoenix (2.03) and Dallas (1.92) follow. Phoenix and Dallas are deep pools that price below the U.S. median ($77,020 and $80,530), which helps a remote or hybrid search. New York City has the most jobs (7,530) and the highest pay ($136,500), ahead of San Francisco ($122,590) and Washington, DC ($114,700). Austin is the thinnest pool at 0.59, and Detroit has the lowest median ($74,640). BLS publishes no median for Albany. Our financial services recruiting page covers the sector by city. Credit Analysts, by metro area, sorted by jobs. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; U.S. median $83,510. Concentration is the BLS location quotient: above 1.0 means the job is a bigger share of local employment than nationally.
Outlook
BLS projects credit analyst employment to decline from 64,700 jobs in 2025 through 2035, yet still expects about 3,100 openings a year. Because the occupation is not growing, those openings come from analysts who retire or move into other occupations. For employers, that means a steady flow of vacancies to fill even as total seats shrink.
National figures for Credit Analysts, as published on O*NET OnLine.
Compare
The three roles often sit on the same lending team. Decide which one the seat really is before you post.
| Role | Main question | Typical output | BLS occupation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit analyst | Can this borrower repay, and on what terms? | Spread, risk rating and credit memo for loan committee | Credit analysts (13-2041) |
| Risk analyst | How much could the portfolio or firm lose? | Risk measures, stress results and limit reports | Financial risk specialists (13-2054) |
| Loan officer | Will this client borrow from us, and how? | Applications, client relationships and new loans | Loan officers (13-2072) |
See our risk analyst hiring guide if the seat is about the portfolio rather than individual borrowers. Source: O*NET OnLine, Credit Analysts and Financial Risk Specialists.
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FAQ
A credit analyst decides how risky it is to lend money or extend credit. Per O*NET, the core tasks are analyzing credit data and financial statements, generating ratios, comparing a borrower with peers in its industry and region, and preparing reports and loan applications for committee approval. In corporate credit departments, analysts may also review delinquent accounts and recommend payment plans.
A bachelor's degree is the norm: in O*NET's survey, about 95% of respondents said the job requires one and about 5% a master's. Finance, accounting and economics are the usual majors. Beyond that, test the skills directly: a clean spread, sound cash flow analysis and a clear written recommendation. A CFA helps for fixed income and ratings seats.
The median annual wage for credit analysts in the New York City metro was $136,500 in May 2025, per BLS, against $83,510 nationally. New York also has the most credit analyst jobs of the metros we track, at 7,530. Charlotte has a far higher concentration but a lower median of $100,640, which matters if the seat can be remote or hybrid.
When the work spikes and then ends: a renewal backlog, a loan review, a portfolio acquisition or cover for a leave. Temporary staffing or contract staffing adds an experienced analyst without a permanent seat. For permanent roles on a lending team, direct hire is the better fit.
Yes, if you build transferable skills. BLS expects about 3,100 openings a year through 2035 even as the total declines, and the skills carry into risk analyst, credit officer and relationship manager roles. Build depth in cash flow analysis and one data tool, then see our open roles or send your resume. It is free for job seekers.
Our financial services recruiters screen on spreading, cash flow and written recommendations, then share profiles in the Employer Portal for your review.
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