.png)
.png)
Banks, credit unions, insurance carriers, agencies, investment firms. It is one of the largest industries on CareerPathway.com, it pays better than almost anything else on this site — and it is changing fast enough that you deserve the honest version before you pick a direction.
These four roles are all growing faster than the average job, and every one of them pays six figures or close to it. All four expect a bachelor's degree, and the analytical ones reward you for being good at math.
Financial manager
$166,570
Actuary
$130,000
Financial analyst
$103,570
Personal financial advisor
$105,070
Insurance sales agent. Median pay $62,280, a high school diploma is the typical entry requirement, employers train you, and the role is projected to keep growing. There are more than half a million of these jobs in the country. If you are good with people and willing to learn a licence, this is the most realistic way into a high-paying industry without a degree — and it puts you in the building where the analyst and manager jobs get filled.
Bank teller is projected to decline 13% over the next ten years — the sharpest drop of any role we track on this site. Customer service representative, claims adjuster and insurance underwriter are all shrinking too, as apps and automated underwriting take over the routine work. These are still real jobs that pay today and they still teach you the industry. Just go in with your eyes open: treat a teller window or a service desk as a paid way to learn the business and earn a credential, not as a thirty-year plan.
Start here
Insurance sales agent, service representative, teller
$43,030 – $62,280
A few years in
Loan officer, claims examiner, securities sales agent, underwriter
$76,690 – $81,370
Where it can go
Financial analyst, actuary, financial manager
$103,570 – $166,570
Get licensed, or get an internship. Insurance agencies will train and licence a motivated high school graduate. Banks and credit unions run internships and management-trainee programs. Accounting and finance degrees feed the analyst roles. The firms on CareerPathway.com post all of it — internships, trainee roles, licensed positions and the education programs that lead to them. Create a free profile, follow the organizations you are interested in, and you will see what they open up and what they are willing to teach.
Can I work in finance or insurance without a college degree?
Yes, in some roles. Insurance sales agent and customer service positions typically require only a high school diploma, and employers usually train you and help you get licensed. The higher-paying analyst, actuary and manager roles expect a bachelor's degree, though plenty of people earn theirs while already working in the industry.
Which finance and insurance jobs pay the most?
Financial managers, at a median of $166,570 per year, followed by actuaries at $130,000 and personal financial advisors at $105,070. All three expect a bachelor's degree, and financial managers also expect five or more years of experience first.
Is being a bank teller still a good first job?
It is a real job that pays about $43,030 and teaches you the industry, but the number of teller positions is projected to decline 13% through 2035. Take one to learn the business while you earn a licence or a degree, not as a long-term plan.
Do I need to be good at math?
For actuarial and analyst work, yes, very. For sales, service, claims and lending roles, being good with people matters more than being good at calculus.
Pay and job outlook figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook — 2025 median pay and 2025–2035 projections.