Financial Services · Risk hiring
BLS expects financial risk specialist jobs to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, from a base of only about 66,000, so experienced candidates have options and the hire works best when the posting names one risk type. Careerscape's recruiters specialize in financial services and work remotely across the country, sorting risk candidates by specialty before you see them.
Outlook
BLS projects financial risk specialist employment to rise from 66,000 in 2025 to 70,800 in 2035, with about 4,800 openings a year from growth and from people leaving the occupation. The pool sits mostly in finance: 35% of these jobs are in credit intermediation (banks and other lenders), 15% in securities and investments and 14% in insurance.
National figures for Financial Risk Specialists, as published on O*NET OnLine.
Sub-specialties
BLS defines the occupation around credit and market risk exposure. Operational and third-party risk analysts do related work but may be counted in other occupations, so treat the figures on this page as a guide to the financial risk side.
Credentials and code
The FRM from the Global Association of Risk Professionals is the credential built for this work. Candidates pass Part I (100 multiple-choice questions) and Part II (80 questions), then submit evidence of at least two years of relevant work experience before they are certified. A resume that says "FRM Part I passed" shows progress, not certification, so ask where the candidate stands.
The CFA charter from CFA Institute takes three exams and 4,000 hours of relevant experience over at least 36 months. It fits market and portfolio risk seats that sit close to investment teams. BLS says certification may enhance a financial analyst's professional standing but does not list it as required, so name these as preferred unless a client or regulator expects them.
O*NET marks SAS as a hot technology for financial risk specialists and Python, R, Excel, Tableau and Power BI as in demand; MATLAB also appears in its software list. Decide before you post whether the analyst will write and maintain model code, or run existing models and explain the results. They are different candidates, and a posting that asks for both narrows the pool for no gain.
Template
Written for a credit or market risk analyst at a bank or asset manager. For a model validation seat, add independent testing and documentation review of models built by others.
We are hiring a risk analyst to measure and report the risks in our portfolio, test them under stress, and explain the results to the business and to senior management. You will work closely with the front office, finance and our model owners.
29 metros
Metro figures are BLS estimates for May 2025 and cover all financial risk specialists.
| Market | Jobs | Median pay · vs. U.S. | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | 12,770 | $139,670+19% | 3.28 |
| Chicago | 2,360 | $105,370−10% | 1.27 |
| Philadelphia | 2,340 | $130,880+12% | 1.97 |
| Dallas | 2,320 | $103,760−12% | 1.40 |
| Charlotte | 1,880 | $133,530+14% | 3.37 |
| Los Angeles | 1,540 | $113,230−3% | 0.60 |
| Washington, DC | 1,400 | $126,510+8% | 1.09 |
| Atlanta | 1,400 | $104,850−11% | 1.18 |
| San Francisco | 1,380 | $167,440+43% | 1.41 |
| Phoenix | 1,310 | $101,990−13% | 1.34 |
| Boston | 1,120 | $132,580+13% | 1.01 |
| Miami | 990 | $104,500−11% | 0.85 |
| Minneapolis | 940 | $105,420−10% | 1.17 |
| Tampa | 810 | $98,820−16% | 1.37 |
| Denver | 740 | $118,620+1% | 1.13 |
| Detroit | 690 | $105,110−10% | 0.88 |
| Houston | 590 | $101,200−14% | 0.44 |
| Seattle | 550 | $134,330+14% | 0.64 |
| Pittsburgh | 530 | $99,680−15% | 1.17 |
| Providence | 490 | $103,470−12% | 1.67 |
| Buffalo | 470 | $96,980−17% | 2.13 |
| Austin | 430 | $108,410−8% | 0.81 |
| Baltimore | 390 | $119,720+2% | 0.70 |
| San Diego | 380 | $121,010+3% | 0.60 |
| Portland | 350 | $105,500−10% | 0.70 |
| Raleigh-Durham | 310 | $100,260−15% | 1.01 |
| Hartford | 300 | $100,950−14% | 1.21 |
| Nashville | 210 | $95,250−19% | 0.47 |
| Albany | 200 | $120,570+3% | 1.07 |
New York City has 12,770 risk specialist jobs, more than five times Chicago (2,360), Philadelphia (2,340) or Dallas (2,320), and a location quotient of 3.28. Charlotte is even more concentrated at 3.37, with 1,880 jobs and a $133,530 median. Buffalo (2.13), Philadelphia (1.97) and Providence (1.67) are also deep for their size. San Francisco pays the most ($167,440), but Seattle, at $134,330, is a thin pool (0.64). Houston (0.44) and Nashville (0.47) are the thinnest of our metros, and Nashville has the lowest median ($95,250). For a remote seat, recruiting in the deep metros widens the pool. See our financial services recruiting page for the sector view. Financial Risk Specialists, by metro area, sorted by jobs. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; U.S. median $117,330. Concentration is the BLS location quotient: above 1.0 means the job is a bigger share of local employment than nationally.
Interview
Pair at least one of these with a short exercise on real-looking data. What you want is judgment about numbers, not recall of formulas.
Listen for: A clear sequence: what they saw, who they told, what they recommended and how it was resolved. Strong candidates name the business pushback and how they handled it.
Listen for: Plain language, the one or two drivers that matter and honest limits. Jargon without a takeaway is a warning sign for committee work.
Listen for: Self-awareness and a way they tested it, such as a sensitivity run or a historical comparison.
Listen for: Missing values, outliers, stale prices, mismatched dates and reconciliation to a known total, raised without prompting.
Listen for: Independence with respect for the business. Candidates who were never challenged, or never conceded a point, both need a follow-up question.
BLS, May 2025
Risk analysts are counted as financial risk specialists. O*NET's sample titles for the group include risk managers and equity research analysts, so the top of the range reflects senior seats.
Middle half of all workers (25th to 75th percentile)
As a rough guide, an entry-level analyst prices between the 10th and 25th percentiles ($64,820 to $83,980) and an analyst with several years in one risk type near the $117,330 median. Quantitative and model validation hires can need the 75th percentile ($158,250) or more, especially in San Francisco and New York. The risk analyst salary guide breaks pay down further. Annual pay, all U.S. employers, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), occupation: Financial Risk Specialists. Pay by level and city: Risk Analyst salary guide.
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FAQ
A risk analyst measures the ways an organization could lose money and recommends how to limit them. O*NET's description for financial risk specialists covers analyzing credit and market risk, running statistical analyses and econometric models, reviewing new legislation for its effect on risk exposure, and conferring with traders about the risks in their positions. Most analysts specialize in one risk type.
The analyst measures, models and reports; the manager sets the framework, owns limits and decisions, and leads the team. BLS counts both in the same occupation, which is why its pay range runs high at the top. If you are hiring someone to run the function, our risk manager hiring guide is the better starting point.
BLS does not list a required license or credential for the occupation. The FRM from GARP is the most role-specific credential: two exams and two years of relevant experience. It is a useful signal for credit and market risk roles, but practical modeling and communication skills usually matter more in a screen. List it as preferred unless a client or regulator expects it.
Contract work fits risk teams with a defined backlog: a model validation queue, a stress testing cycle, a new reporting build or a regulatory remediation. A contract or contract-to-hire analyst lets you add capacity without a permanent seat, then convert if the fit is right. Permanent analysts who own a risk type are usually better as direct hires.
Statistics and one programming language come first: O*NET marks SAS, Python and R as hot or in-demand technologies for this work, along with Excel and BI tools. Add depth in one risk type and the ability to explain results simply. Then look at our open roles or send your resume; Careerscape is free for job seekers.
Tell us whether you need credit, market, liquidity or model risk depth, and review a pre-screened shortlist in the Employer Portal.
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