Career comparison
Accountant vs. Financial analyst
Financial analysts earn more: a median of $102,740, $19,060 (23%) above accountants at $83,680.
Financial analysts have the stronger outlook: +7% projected growth through 2035, vs. +5%.
Getting in is slower for accountants: about 2.3 years vs. 9 months for someone with a bachelor's in another field.
At a glance
| Accountant | Financial analyst | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $83,680 | $102,740 |
| Top 10% earn over | $144,090 | $180,860 |
| Growth to 2035 | +5% | +7% |
| Openings per year | 115,300 | 24,700 |
| Jobs today | 1,595,200 | 377,200 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Time to qualify* | 2.3 years | 9 months |
| Training cost* | $18K–$55K | $0–$5.3K |
* Starting from a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35.
Pay
Accountant
Financial analyst
Switching from one to the other
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Getting in
Accountant
- Entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
Required: CPA exam and license (needed for audit/sign-off roles, not all accounting jobs)
Financial analyst
- Entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
Required: No license for most roles; CFA charter optional (3 exams, ~3 years)
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Accountant: 50% usually work over 40 hours a week
Accountant: core tasks
- Prepare, examine, or analyze accounting records, financial statements, or other financial reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards.
- Process invoices for payment.
- Review accounts for discrepancies and reconcile differences.
- Compute taxes owed and prepare tax returns, ensuring compliance with payment, reporting, or other tax requirements.
- Prepare adjusting journal entries.
Financial analyst: core tasks
Skills: what carries over
New for a financial analyst moving to accountant: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Speaking, Mathematics, Active Learning, Monitoring.
Interests (Holland codes): Accountant: Conventional, Enterprising, Investigative. Financial analyst: Conventional, Enterprising, Investigative.
Outlook to 2035, and AI
Accountant
+5%
about as fast as average · 115,300 openings a year
BLS lists no specific factors, including AI, changing demand for this job.
Financial analyst
+7%
faster than average · 24,700 openings a year
BLS lists no specific factors, including AI, changing demand for this job.
Quoted notes: BLS Employment Projections, factors affecting occupational utilization (Table 1.12). Average growth across all jobs: +3.5%.
Questions people ask
Who makes more, an accountant or a financial analyst?
Financial analysts earn more: a median of $102,740, $19,060 (23%) above accountants at $83,680.
Which has the better job outlook?
Financial analysts have the stronger outlook: +7% projected growth through 2035, vs. +5%.
How long does it take to become a financial analyst?
For someone with a bachelor's degree in another field, about 9 months, with tuition of roughly $0 to $5,300. Required: No license for most roles; CFA charter optional (3 exams, ~3 years).
How long does it take to become an accountant?
For someone with a bachelor's degree in another field, about 2.3 years, with tuition of roughly $18,000 to $55,000. Required: CPA exam and license (needed for audit/sign-off roles, not all accounting jobs).