CareerFacts

All careers › Financial Examiners

Bank examiner: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$94,160median pay per year, or $45.27 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $56,230lowest 10% earn less
  2. $70,66025th percentile
  3. $94,160median
  4. $129,60075th percentile
  5. $174,200top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[5]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[2]

The median financial examiner, often called a bank examiner, earned $94,160 a year in May 2025, well above the median for all occupations[1][2]. Employment is projected to grow 9.3% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the all-occupation rate[3][4].

Job growth, 2025–35
+9.3%[3]
Openings per year
4,500[6]
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree[7]

How much do bank examiners make?

The median wage for financial examiners, the BLS title for bank examiners, was $94,160 a year in May 2025[1]. That is $45.27 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The average was $106,240 a year, or $51.08 an hour[8]. For comparison, the median for all occupations was $50,980 a year[2].

The pay range is wide:

Point in the range Annual wage Hourly wage
10th percentile[5][9] $56,230 $27.04
25th percentile[5][9] $70,660 $33.97
Median[1] $94,160 $45.27
75th percentile[5][9] $129,600 $62.31
90th percentile[5][9] $174,200 $83.75

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $56,230 a year, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $174,200[5]. A percentile is a boundary line in the pay data. BLS publishes percentiles and the median, not a starting salary[10].

These figures cover people paid a wage or salary. They leave out the self-employed, nonproduction bonuses and the cost of benefits such as health insurance[11]. About 67,830 people worked as financial examiners in wage and salary jobs in May 2025[12].

Pay by state and city

BLS published median pay for 48 states and the District of Columbia[13]. The District of Columbia had the highest median at $198,720, followed by New York at $128,920 and Connecticut at $120,530[13]. Arkansas had the lowest published median, $57,590[13].

New York also had the most jobs, 13,480[14]. Texas had 5,230, California 4,200, Florida 4,190 and Illinois 4,050[14]. Texas had a median of $78,140 and California $106,000[13].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area had the highest median at $157,560[15]. Next came New York-Newark-Jersey City at $133,380 and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont at $131,820[15]. The New York area also had the most jobs, 13,400[16].

Show median pay in 48 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
District of Columbia[13]$198,720470
New York$128,92013,480
Connecticut$120,530n/a
Washington$113,700420
Massachusetts$111,110950
New Jersey$106,4102,190
California$106,0004,200
Minnesota$104,2601,280
Virginia$104,0601,280
Maryland$102,980350
North Carolina$100,7302,610
Colorado$99,6101,910
Oregon$94,630820
Rhode Island$94,130320
Illinois$93,1504,050
Delaware$92,390430
Utah$92,000960
Alaska$90,53050
South Dakota$88,690150
Tennessee$87,110500
South Carolina$86,440480
Wisconsin$86,320580
Mississippi$85,430420
Idaho$85,260210
Nevada$84,650180
Louisiana$84,310240
North Dakota$82,640220
Indiana$81,300420
Montana$80,970140
Maine$80,840230
New Hampshire$80,810130
Oklahoma$80,760400
Kansas$80,420470
Iowa$80,3701,020
Arizona$80,2601,910
Missouri$79,9902,290
Pennsylvania$78,5002,590
Texas$78,1405,230
Georgia$77,7101,450
Kentucky$76,260640
Florida$76,2304,190
Vermont$74,680170
Nebraska$74,460840
Michigan$71,050710
Ohio$69,0403,680
New Mexico$67,950220
Hawaii$62,720270
West Virginia$60,590240
Arkansas$57,590540

How to become a bank examiner

The handbook names analytical, detail, math and writing skills as important. Examiners judge how well institutions handle risk, review balance sheets closely, check that an institution has cash available and write reports on safety and soundness[23][24][25][26].

What bank examiners do

O*NET describes the job as enforcing or ensuring compliance with laws and rules for financial and securities institutions and for financial and real estate transactions[27]. Common job titles include bank examiner, credit union examiner and compliance specialist[28]. Tasks include:

Where they work

Financial examiners typically work in offices, and they often travel to inspect a bank onsite[30]. The handbook says most examiners work full time[31]. Credit intermediation and related activities was the largest employer, at 44% in 2025[32].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment of financial examiners to grow 9.3% from 2025 to 2035, from about 70,000 to 76,500 jobs[3]. That is a gain of about 6,500 jobs, and the count includes self-employed workers[3]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same years[4].

BLS also projects about 4,500 openings a year on average[6]. Openings include jobs that come open when workers retire or move to other fields, not only new jobs[6]. Each year, 2.2% of workers leave the labor force and 3.1% move to a different occupation[33]. The May 2025 count above covers wage and salary jobs only[12]. The projections count includes self-employed workers[3].

Is it a good fit?

The facts suggest a job that pays well above the all-occupation median and asks for a bachelor's degree with accounting or finance coursework[1][2][17]. New examiners train on the job for typically more than a year[19]. Projected growth of 9.3% is faster than the 3.5% for all occupations[3][4]. The work is mostly in offices with travel to banks[30]. Pay depends on place, with higher medians in the District of Columbia, New York and Connecticut[13].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[34].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a bank examiner make a year?
The median for financial examiners was $94,160 a year, or $45.27 an hour, in May 2025[1]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $56,230 and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $174,200[5].
What degree do you need to be a bank examiner?
BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry education[7]. Coursework should include accounting, finance or related subjects[17].
How long does it take to learn the job?
Examiners train on the job after they are hired, and the handbook says this typically lasts more than 1 year[19]. The length of a degree is not given in our sources.
Do bank examiners need to be CPAs?
No certification is required[20]. Some examiners become CPAs, which means passing a national exam and meeting state requirements[21].
What is the highest paying state for bank examiners?
The District of Columbia had the highest median at $198,720, followed by New York at $128,920[13]. New York had the most jobs, 13,480[14].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Financial Examiners in the US was $94,160 per year and $45.27 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Financial Examiners is projected to grow 9.3% from 2025 to 2035, from about 70,000 to 76,500 jobs (a change of +6,500). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Financial Examiners: 10th percentile $56,230, 25th percentile $70,660, 75th percentile $129,600, 90th percentile $174,200. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 4,500 openings for Financial Examiners 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
  7. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Financial Examiners: education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Financial Examiners was $106,240 per year and $51.08 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Financial Examiners: 10th percentile $27.04, 25th percentile $33.97, 75th percentile $62.31, 90th percentile $83.75. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 67,830 people were employed as Financial Examiners in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. Median annual wage for Financial Examiners in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Financial Examiners jobs: New York 13,480; Texas 5,230; California 4,200; Florida 4,190; Illinois 4,050. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Financial Examiners (areas with at least 100 jobs): Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $157,560; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $133,380; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $131,820; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $123,750; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $122,230; Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT $114,860; San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $106,090; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $106,000. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Financial Examiners jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 13,400 (median $133,380); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 3,160 (median $98,470); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,240 (median $79,980); Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 1,770 (median $80,490); Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 1,670 (median $105,240); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,630 (median $106,000). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. O*NET 13-2061.00 survey of workers (23 respondents), education level they say is required: Bachelor's Degree 87%, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate 9% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Advancement. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  24. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  25. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  26. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  27. O*NET description of Financial Examiners. O*NET OnLine
  28. O*NET 13-2061.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Bank Examiner, Bank Secrecy Act Anti-Money Laundering Officer (BSA/AML Officer), Community Reinvestment Act Officer (CRA Officer), Compliance Analyst, Compliance Specialist, Credit Union Examiner, Credit Union Field Examiner, Examining Officer. O*NET OnLine
  29. O*NET task list for Financial Examiners. O*NET OnLine
  30. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  31. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  32. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of financial examiners in 2025: Credit intermediation and related activities 44%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  33. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Financial Examiners: 2.2% of workers leave the labor force each year and 3.1% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  34. 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.