Financial Examiner: Career Information

A financial examiner ensures that banks and financial institutions comply with the laws and regulations that govern them. He or she also makes certain financial and real estate transactions are in compliance with laws and regulations.

There were 27,000 financial examiners employed in the U.S. in 2008.

To work as a financial examiner one usually must have a bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field.

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Certification requirements for financial examiners vary by state.

The job outlook for financial examiners is excellent. This occupation is projected to experience faster growth, through 2018, than other occupations requiring a bachelor's degree (The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

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Financial examiners earned a median annual salary of $71,750 (U.S., 2009).

Use the Salary Wizard at Salary.com to find out how much a Financial Examiner currently earns in your city.

On a typical day a financial examiner's tasks might include:

• investigating activities of institutions
• keeping up-to-date on new, proposed, or revised laws, regulations, policies and procedures
• supervising subordinates, including assigning and reviewing work assigned to them
• advising institutions about actions they should take to ensure their compliance with laws and regulations, or to protect their solvency
• preparing reports that detail an institution's safety and soundness and compliance with laws and regulations
• reviewing institutions' financial records including balance sheets, operating income and expense accounts, and loan documentation

Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Management, Business, and Financial Occupations, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco20051.htm (visited April 06, 2010).
Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET Online, Financial Examiner, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/details/13-2061.00 (visited November 22, 2010).