Finance is the grandest of niches. The field is vast and has endless opportunities for all those with and without a degree. There are just so many aspects to look at. You’ve accounting, the banking niche, corporate companies and so much more. What’s great about finance is that with or without a degree you can still earn a decent income.
Here’s a list of the many job opportunities in finance for those who have no degree at all:
- Mortgage Loan Officer
- Tax Examiner
- Accounting Clerk
- Bank Teller
- Claim Adjuster
- Financial Auditor
- Accountant
- Claim Appraiser
- Financial Planner
- Insurance Agent
In the end, a degree only enforces the talent and skill you already have.
That’s why in this article I’ll be going through the 10 best finance jobs that pay well and require no degree.
Let’s get started!
#1 Mortgage Loan Officer
Level of Ease: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Starting the list off with a mortgage loan officer. Most of us by now must be familiar with the word “mortgage.” It’s the loan we get to buy a house. It’s also one of the most common acquisitions in the USA.
Everyone wants a house so, everyone needs a mortgage. The trick is, how do you know which plan is best for you and how to get a mortgage?
Well, this is what mortgage loan officers are for. These are people who work for either banks or independent lenders assisting borrowers in getting their loans.
The initial title they have is simply a loan officer but, since so many people hire them to obtain mortgages, they’re also referred to as mortgage loan officers.
What They Do
Since they’re pretty well aware of the nicks and nacks of a loan, hiring one is an added help in getting your loan. These people are committed and do their paperwork exceptionally well.
Not only this, but they also guide you every step of the way by giving advice and having excellent customer service skills.
Aside from this, they also know every sort of possible loan their lender can offer.
This way, they can give good advice on which loan to choose and which one not to. It’s not an easy job but given time and expertise, you can surely excel in it quickly.
How Well Does It Pay?
Being a loan officer is a full-time job and might add to a very demanding job. So for a job this tough, they earn a median of $63,930/year. This is without the added benefits and all the extra bonuses they might make.
» You can also read my post: TOP 10 » Easiest Freelance Jobs for Beginners (No Experience)
#2 Tax Examiner
Level of Ease: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Now, this is a technical job. Since anything related to taxes has high precautions related to them, this job isn’t any less.
Tax examiners take care of the smallest tax returns from small businesses. The significant chunk of a taxpayer’s job, however, is making sure that any credits and deductions claimed are lawful.
If let’s say, a taxpayer owes more tax, then the examiner adjusts the tax accordingly.
Educational Requirement
For many tax examiner jobs, they require a bachelor’s degree but, it’s either that or at least a year’s experience. They can have experience in a range of jobs like accounting, auditing, or tax compliance work.
When working in these jobs for quite some time then you can qualify for becoming a tax examiner. Plus, newly hired tax examiners get at least a month’s worth of training.
In the end, this job does have the potential to go big, especially for those who prove leadership skills, well they have an even bigger chance of being promoted to higher positions such as supervisors.
How Much Does It Pay?
The median pay tax examiners earn is around $52,060 on an annual basis. The hourly rates of tax examiners are somewhere at $25.3/hour.
#3 Accounting Clerk
Level of Ease: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
An accountant is possibly the most common job there is. Of course, there are the accountants who are CPAs, and then there are the ones who learn the skill instead.
An accounting clerk is a member of a company’s accounting department that looms over administrative and clerical tasks.
In simpler wording, it’s like an extra hand or assistant to the accountants doing their stuff.
It’s an important job because without administration all the accountants would be in a frenzy. They take care of any discrepancies and mishaps that may occur.
What Does an Accounting Clerk Do?
A few of the tasks you might face as an accounting clerk include the following
- Collecting small checks and invoices and checking emails to other businesses and employees.
- Keep records of business transactions and also enter data into the business’s ledger system. This is more of a data entry sort of task.
- Next, they support supervisory and executive staff by helping out with clerical tasks as well as ones assigned by them.
- They assist senior accountants with any task they may give or any task that requires the accounting personnel.
- They take care of any and every documentation or item in the accounting department. These include checks, vouchers, accounting statements, and other general reports.
- They match invoices with work orders and process them as well.
How Much Does It Pay?
An accounting clerk’s average salary stands at $40,000/year.
I have written a separate guide on How To Improve My Accounting Career? — Do check it out!
#4 Bank Teller
Level of Ease: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bank tellers are the people seated out in the front who identify the customer and process any deposits or withdrawals.
They also help in checking deposits and generate official certified checks and orders according to the customer’s specifications. Some also deal with money exchange.
In a general view, these are very helpful people in a very scary and brooding environment.
Not only do these people answer any queries customers may have but they also have to keep track of how much money they gave out.
» You can also read my post: 11 Reasons Why Budgeting is Important
Responsibilities of Tellers
The job requires a diverse range of responsibilities. It needs someone who is a rounder and someone who can multitask easily (also someone who has immense patience).
From a plethora of requirements, a few of the things a bank teller does are:
- To count the amount of money they have in their drawer.
- They take cash, checks, debit, and credit cards as well as other forms of payments from customers.
- They answer any query or misconception customers may have.
- They help prepare specialized funds (loans, traveler’s checks, and savings bonds) for customers.
- Some tellers also work in money exchanges, giving one currency for the other.
- They use different software to record any transactions during their shift.
- At the end of the day, they count the money in their drawer once more, making sure the transactions they made align with the money they have left.
How Much Does It Pay?
For an average value, bank tellers make at least $32,620 annually. Their hourly rate ranges around $15.68/hour.
If you’re a beginner (which you most likely are) then your rate may range around $24,660/annum at an hourly rate of $11.85.
#5 Claim Adjuster
Level of Ease: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I know it sounds like a technical term but a claims adjuster investigates insurance claims; determining the extent of the company’s liability.
Claim Adjusters look over property claims involving any damage to the structure or physical liability claims involving any injury.
They review these cases by speaking with the claimant, and any witnesses, researching records, and visiting the property and inspecting it.
So all in all, a claims adjuster is a very toned-down detective.
An adjuster’s main job is to see if the person requesting insurance is valid. That’s why they go through all the heights to make sure the claimant deserves the insurance.
It’s a pretty tricky job since it requires taking every bit into detail but it is also a very growth-oriented job.
How Much Does It Pay?
Since this is a very tough job and has a lot of effort involved in it. Claims adjusters make at least a mean of $52,577 annually.
#6 Financial Auditor
Level of Ease: ⭐⭐⭐
A financial auditor is someone who ensures that a company’s financial statements are in good order and compliant with general accounting laws.
Accountants and auditors perform almost the same tasks; however, auditors are more focused on handling any fraud or errors in corporate financial documents.
For some people, a financial auditor and an accountant might both sound the same. That however isn’t the case as financial auditors are notably different from average accountants.
What Do They Do?
So what a financial auditor does is review a company’s official statements, documentary data, and accounting entries. They take a very observational role, that is to say, they have a lot to take into account.
Their first and foremost job is looking over a company’s accounts, income statements, and so on. It’s all very organization-oriented and one slip-up can lead to many hurdles.
These people speak with multiple departments. They look over low and high-management teams and the harmony an institution desires.
How Much Does It Pay?
These people can earn anywhere from $15,521 to $419,331/year.
#7 Accountant
Level of Ease: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is the most popular position, ever. We’re all aware of what accountants do, what they work for, and how they do it. These people know it all.
Accountants manage business transactions and report on reports performance and any issues in financial statements.
A position such as an accountant requires flexibility because sometimes, the workload can get a lot.
Their major concerns revolve around money management, any ups or downs in the accounts, and any mishaps that might take place during transactions.
An accountant has multiple subfields such as bookkeeping, auditing, and general management. All of these do have different processes but all revolve around one basic concept.
If you have a maths degree, you can work as an accountant for many firms.
Duties And Responsibilities of Accountants
Because their job is such an important one, accountants have very little leverage to mess up. Therefore, when dealing with financial transactions they have to be cautious of every minor detail.
A few of the roles an accountant plays a key part are: receiving invoices from suppliers and issuing invoices to customers and simultaneously recording the relevant information.
They handle every sort of money transaction; handling people’s wages, recording any expense their company makes and reconciling bank statements, too.
How Much Does It Pay?
Since an accountant is a high-paying position, people with this job position make anywhere around $49,644/year. This is after at least a year’s worth of experience.
» Read also: Prices And Rates: How Much To Charge As A CPA (Chartered Public Accountant) Per Hour
#8 Claim Appraiser
Level of ease: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
So I just explained what an insurance adjuster is above, now there’s another man in the field; a claims appraiser.
A claim appraiser is someone capable of giving professional and neutral opinions on the value of your loss. These people have no interest or stake in the outcome but only work to assist in your insurance.
So what happens when your property gets damaged and you do not agree with the insurance claim your company gives? Well, you hire a claim appraiser, that’s what happens.
How Much Does It Pay?
As both an adjuster and an appraiser have the same job specifications, their salaries only differ by hair. A claims appraiser earns an average of $66,885 per year.
#9 Financial Planner
Level of Ease: ⭐⭐⭐
A financial planner is just that. A planner. They help people manage their money and transactions, as well as help them reach their long-term financial goals.
They’re basically like an assistant of sorts but only for financial occurrences. Such planners need knowledge of personal finance, taxes, and budgeting, too.
All these are then combined to determine the current financial state of their client, helping them manage their finances well.
If you ask verdict, it isn’t hard to make money in this field.
How Much Does It Pay?
A financial planner earns per client. The average salary they may get is $59,450 for entry-level.
#10 Insurance Agent
Level of ease: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An insurance agent is a professional who sells insurance companies’ products to customers and earns a commission in return.
To sell a commission, they help customers in selecting the right insurance while also representing their host company during the deal.
Their main tasks are to recruit more customers to an insurance company’s services.
How Much Does It Pay?
For entry-level agents, they make a minimum of $66,550/year, whereas the more experienced agents can make up to $79,431.
» Read my blog post: How To Get Motivated To Make More Money
Conclusion
As you might already know by now, there are many job opportunities in the area of finance. There are also opportunities if you don’t have a degree.
In times like these, a degree does help elevate your resume by a lot but in the end, it’s the experience and skill you learned that matters. Paper certifications mean a lot less in the skill-oriented field.
So, if you’re looking for a job that pays well and requires no college degree, I hope this list has helped you.
