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Credit analyst: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 26, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$83,510median pay per year, or $40.15 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $56,250lowest 10% earn less
  2. $65,21025th percentile
  3. $83,510median
  4. $122,46075th percentile
  5. $169,230top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Credit analysts had a median pay of $83,510 a year in May 2025[1]. BLS projects employment to decline 4.3% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
-4.3%[2]
Openings per year
3,100[5]
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree[6]

How much do credit analysts make?

The median credit analyst wage was $83,510 a year, or $40.15 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. For all occupations, the median annual wage was $50,980[4].

The average was higher, at $100,850 a year or $48.49 an hour[7].

Pay varies a lot across the range[3]:

Percentile Annual wage Hourly wage
10th[3][8] $56,250 $27.04
25th[3][8] $65,210 $31.35
Median[1] $83,510 $40.15
75th[3][8] $122,460 $58.88
90th[3][8] $169,230 $81.36

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $56,250[3]. A percentile is a boundary between groups of workers. BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[9].

These figures cover wage and salary workers, full-time and part-time. They leave out the self-employed and do not count bonuses that are not tied to production or the cost of benefits[10]. About 64,390 people worked as credit analysts in May 2025[11].

Pay by state and city

New York had the highest state median at $133,270, followed by the District of Columbia at $132,590 and Virginia at $102,430[12]. The District of Columbia had only 50 jobs, so its figure rests on a small group[12].

New York also had the most credit analyst jobs, 7,960[13]. Texas (6,130), California (5,260), Florida (4,040) and North Carolina (3,270) came next[13].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, the highest medians were in New York-Newark-Jersey City at $136,500, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara at $129,240 and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont at $122,590[14]. The New York area also had the most jobs, 7,530[15]. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington had 3,210 jobs and a median of $80,530[15].

Show median pay in 50 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
New York[12]$133,2707,960
District of Columbia$132,59050
Virginia$102,4302,460
New Jersey$100,9401,220
Hawaii$98,900130
Connecticut$98,230560
California$97,8605,260
Massachusetts$97,0801,400
Delaware$94,680720
North Carolina$94,5703,270
Washington$91,1601,280
Rhode Island$85,920160
Illinois$84,9903,130
Minnesota$82,6301,110
Maine$81,750280
Alaska$81,34040
Colorado$81,270870
Oregon$80,380650
Pennsylvania$80,2801,930
Alabama$79,970370
Nebraska$79,730510
Ohio$79,7202,790
Idaho$79,650330
Kentucky$79,290370
Texas$78,7306,130
Florida$78,3604,040
Georgia$77,9901,790
New Hampshire$77,980230
South Carolina$77,530690
Arizona$77,0202,260
Iowa$76,760480
Maryland$75,390700
Oklahoma$75,330550
Mississippi$74,880280
North Dakota$74,810300
Montana$74,650190
Michigan$74,6401,510
Utah$74,430750
Louisiana$73,210290
Kansas$73,120520
Nevada$73,090390
South Dakota$73,040430
Tennessee$72,5501,480
New Mexico$72,16090
Arkansas$71,370300
Vermont$71,22090
Wisconsin$68,6901,770
Missouri$65,3501,160
Indiana$62,660860
Wyoming$62,21040
West Virginia$57,320220

How to become a credit analyst

The path in the facts is short:

In an ONET survey of 20 workers, 95% said a bachelor's degree was required and 5% said a master's degree[16]. ONET places the job in Job Zone Four, which means considerable preparation is needed[17].

The facts here do not say how long the degree takes, what it costs or whether a license is required.

What credit analysts do

Credit analysts study financial information to judge how risky it is to lend money or extend credit to a person or a company[18]. Typical tasks include[19]:

Job titles reported by workers include credit officer, credit risk analyst and municipal fixed income analyst[20].

Job outlook

BLS projects credit analyst employment to decline 4.3% from 2025 to 2035, from about 64,700 jobs to 61,900[2]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same period[21]. These projection counts include self-employed workers[2].

BLS names productivity change as a factor. Companies use more data and machine learning in credit risk analysis, so each analyst can do more[22].

Even with a decline, about 3,100 openings a year are projected[5]. Openings include jobs left by people who retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs[5]. Each year, 1.6% of workers leave the labor force and 3.8% move to a different occupation[23].

Is it a good fit?

The job suits people who have or plan to earn a bachelor's degree and who like working with financial statements and risk[6][19]. Median pay is above the all-occupations median[1][4]. Against that, BLS projects fewer jobs by 2035[2]. Openings still arise each year as people leave the occupation[5][23]. Pay also depends on location, with New York and its metro area at the top[12][14].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[24].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a credit analyst make an hour?
The median was $40.15 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $48.49[1][7].
What degree do you need to be a credit analyst?
BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry education[6]. In an O*NET survey of 20 workers, 95% said a bachelor's degree was required[16].
Is credit analyst a growing field?
No. BLS projects a 4.3% decline from 2025 to 2035, while all occupations are projected to grow 3.5%[2][21]. About 3,100 openings a year are still projected[5].
What is the highest paying state for credit analysts?
New York, with a median of $133,270, followed by the District of Columbia at $132,590[12].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Credit Analysts in the US was $83,510 per year and $40.15 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Credit Analysts is projected to decline 4.3% from 2025 to 2035, from about 64,700 to 61,900 jobs (a change of -2,800). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Credit Analysts: 10th percentile $56,250, 25th percentile $65,210, 75th percentile $122,460, 90th percentile $169,230. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 3,100 openings for Credit Analysts are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Credit Analysts: education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Credit Analysts was $100,850 per year and $48.49 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Credit Analysts: 10th percentile $27.04, 25th percentile $31.35, 75th percentile $58.88, 90th percentile $81.36. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 64,390 people were employed as Credit Analysts in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. Median annual wage for Credit Analysts in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Credit Analysts jobs: New York 7,960; Texas 6,130; California 5,260; Florida 4,040; North Carolina 3,270. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Credit Analysts (areas with at least 100 jobs): New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $136,500; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $129,240; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $122,590; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $114,700; Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT $106,670; Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $101,890; Birmingham, AL $101,720; Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT $101,450. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Credit Analysts jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 7,530 (median $136,500); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 3,210 (median $80,530); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 2,560 (median $92,900); Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 2,190 (median $100,640); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,100 (median $95,640); Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 1,990 (median $77,020). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. O*NET 13-2041.00 survey of workers (20 respondents), education level they say is required: Bachelor's Degree 95%, Master's Degree 5% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  17. O*NET 13-2041.00: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified. O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET description of Credit Analysts. O*NET OnLine
  19. O*NET task list for Credit Analysts. O*NET OnLine
  20. O*NET 13-2041.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Credit Administrator, Credit Analyst, Credit and Collections Analyst, Credit Officer, Credit Representative, Credit Risk Analyst, Municipal Fixed Income Analyst. O*NET OnLine
  21. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  22. BLS Employment Projections, factor affecting employment of Credit Analysts: Productivity change - share decreases as companies increase the productivity of credit analysts by using more data and machine learning in the credit risk analyses process. BLS Employment Projections
  23. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Credit Analysts: 1.6% of workers leave the labor force each year and 3.8% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  24. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.