Financial Examiners
Financial Examiners (SOC 13-2061) earn a median $94,160 a year ($45.27 an hour) in the United States, with 67,830 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What financial examiners do
Financial examiners enforce and check compliance with laws and regulations that govern financial institutions, securities, as well as real estate and other financial dealings. Their work centers on enforcement and verification of compliance rather than on keeping the books. Examiners review and verify records, authenticate documents, and prepare reports and schedules that detail an institution's financial condition. They meet with directors, trustees, and officers of the institutions under review, resolve problems about the overall financial position, and recommend actions to ensure compliance or protect the solvency of institutions. Titles include bank examiner and anti-money laundering director. The occupation differs from tax examiners and collectors, who determine tax liability, from accountants and auditors, who examine business records for accuracy, and from compliance officers, who check conformity with other kinds of regulation. Financial risk specialists measure exposure for a single organization. They also plan, supervise, and review the work of assigned subordinates and read the audit reports of internal and external auditors to find weaknesses in internal routines.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a bachelor's degree as the typical level of education for this occupation.
Also called: AML Director (Anti-Money Laundering Director), Anti Money Laundering Investigator (AML Investigator), Bank Compliance Officer, Bank Examiner, Bank Secrecy Act Anti-Money Laundering Officer (BSA/AML Officer).
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $27.04 | $33.97 | $45.27 | $62.31 | $83.75 | $51.08 | 67,830 |
| Annual | $56,230 | $70,660 | $94,160 | $129,600 | $174,200 | $106,240 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where financial examiners earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $40.41 | $64.65 | $95.54 | $115.02 | $123.47 | $90.02 | 470 | 0.66 | 1.52 |
| Annual | $84,050 | $134,470 | $198,720 | $239,240 | $256,820 | $187,240 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $34.00 | $44.20 | $61.98 | $83.71 | $103.89 | $66.20 | 13,480 | 1.39 | 3.19 |
| Annual | $70,710 | $91,940 | $128,920 | $174,130 | $216,090 | $137,700 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $29.64 | $43.33 | $57.95 | $67.27 | $101.09 | $60.69 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $61,660 | $90,130 | $120,530 | $139,920 | $210,270 | $126,220 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $35.91 | $43.77 | $54.66 | $65.50 | $82.84 | $57.42 | 420 | 0.12 | 0.27 |
| Annual | $74,690 | $91,040 | $113,700 | $136,250 | $172,300 | $119,420 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $32.94 | $40.22 | $53.42 | $68.69 | $90.34 | $58.51 | 950 | 0.26 | 0.60 |
| Annual | $68,520 | $83,660 | $111,110 | $142,880 | $187,910 | $121,700 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $34.00 | $44.20 | $61.98 | $83.71 | $103.89 | $66.20 | 13,480 | 1.39 | 3.19 |
| Annual | $70,710 | $91,940 | $128,920 | $174,130 | $216,090 | $137,700 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $24.71 | $29.51 | $37.57 | $49.36 | $65.99 | $42.70 | 5,230 | 0.37 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $51,400 | $61,370 | $78,140 | $102,670 | $137,260 | $88,810 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $32.06 | $38.52 | $50.96 | $64.96 | $84.20 | $57.07 | 4,200 | 0.23 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $66,680 | $80,120 | $106,000 | $135,110 | $175,140 | $118,710 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $23.65 | $28.70 | $36.65 | $47.90 | $62.06 | $40.16 | 4,190 | 0.42 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $49,190 | $59,700 | $76,230 | $99,620 | $129,090 | $83,540 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $28.75 | $37.47 | $44.78 | $61.10 | $80.42 | $51.16 | 4,050 | 0.66 | 1.52 |
| Annual | $59,800 | $77,930 | $93,150 | $127,090 | $167,270 | $106,400 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | Hourly | $29.15 | $53.41 | $76.43 | $78.88 | $108.93 | $70.61 | 80 | 0.20 | 0.45 |
| Annual | $60,630 | $111,080 | $158,960 | $164,060 | $226,560 | $146,860 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $37.32 | $55.37 | $75.75 | $103.87 | $122.16 | $79.58 | 890 | 0.29 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $77,630 | $115,170 | $157,560 | $216,050 | $254,090 | $165,530 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $37.77 | $47.26 | $64.13 | $84.15 | $104.54 | $69.11 | 13,400 | 1.41 | 3.24 |
| Annual | $78,560 | $98,300 | $133,380 | $175,040 | $217,430 | $143,750 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $39.04 | $49.04 | $63.37 | $94.26 | $133.62 | $74.55 | 750 | 0.32 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $81,190 | $102,010 | $131,820 | $196,050 | $277,930 | $155,060 | ||||
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | Hourly | $36.14 | $51.87 | $62.00 | $91.34 | $115.37 | $71.16 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $75,180 | $107,890 | $128,960 | $189,990 | $239,960 | $148,000 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $37.77 | $47.26 | $64.13 | $84.15 | $104.54 | $69.11 | 13,400 | 1.41 | 3.24 |
| Annual | $78,560 | $98,300 | $133,380 | $175,040 | $217,430 | $143,750 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $30.45 | $40.47 | $47.34 | $63.90 | $83.02 | $53.68 | 3,160 | 0.70 | 1.60 |
| Annual | $63,330 | $84,190 | $98,470 | $132,920 | $172,680 | $111,650 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $27.01 | $30.52 | $38.45 | $49.42 | $70.39 | $44.16 | 2,240 | 0.55 | 1.27 |
| Annual | $56,180 | $63,480 | $79,980 | $102,800 | $146,420 | $91,840 | ||||
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Hourly | $28.94 | $34.35 | $38.70 | $47.17 | $61.84 | $43.14 | 1,770 | 0.74 | 1.70 |
| Annual | $60,200 | $71,460 | $80,490 | $98,110 | $128,630 | $89,730 | ||||
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | Hourly | $32.31 | $38.30 | $50.60 | $64.03 | $80.62 | $53.86 | 1,670 | 1.23 | 2.82 |
| Annual | $67,200 | $79,660 | $105,240 | $133,180 | $167,690 | $112,020 | ||||
Top industries employing financial examiners
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) employ 40.0% of financial examiners nationally (27,100 jobs) at a median $79,660 a year ($38.30 an hour), followed by Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (15.7%) and Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) (9.4%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) NAICS 5220A1 | 27,100 | 40.0% | $79,660 | $38.30 |
| Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities NAICS 523000 | 10,670 | 15.7% | $124,380 | $59.80 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 6,390 | 9.4% | $151,360 | $72.77 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 5,340 | 7.9% | $85,610 | $41.16 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 5,030 | 7.4% | $92,940 | $44.69 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (67,830). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $81,410 for financial examiners in May 2021 and $94,160 in May 2025, with employment of 60,750 and 67,830.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $81,410 | $39.14 | 60,750 |
| May 2022 | $82,210 | $39.52 | 63,370 |
| May 2023 | $84,300 | $40.53 | 63,440 |
| May 2024 | $90,400 | $43.46 | 62,830 |
| May 2025 | $94,160 | $45.27 | 67,830 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
49 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $95.54 | $198,720 | $84,050 | $256,820 | 470 | 0.66 | 1.52 |
| 2 | New York profile | $61.98 | $128,920 | $70,710 | $216,090 | 13,480 | 1.39 | 3.19 |
| 3 | Connecticut profile | $57.95 | $120,530 | $61,660 | $210,270 | ** | ** | ** |
| 4 | Washington profile | $54.66 | $113,700 | $74,690 | $172,300 | 420 | 0.12 | 0.27 |
| 5 | Massachusetts profile | $53.42 | $111,110 | $68,520 | $187,910 | 950 | 0.26 | 0.60 |
| 6 | New Jersey profile | $51.16 | $106,410 | $72,800 | $205,030 | 2,190 | 0.51 | 1.17 |
| 7 | California profile | $50.96 | $106,000 | $66,680 | $175,140 | 4,200 | 0.23 | 0.53 |
| 8 | Minnesota profile | $50.12 | $104,260 | $65,950 | $156,710 | 1,280 | 0.44 | 1.00 |
| 9 | Virginia profile | $50.03 | $104,060 | $62,310 | $176,290 | 1,280 | 0.31 | 0.71 |
| 10 | Maryland profile | $49.51 | $102,980 | $61,980 | $165,780 | 350 | 0.13 | 0.29 |
| 11 | North Carolina profile | $48.43 | $100,730 | $64,760 | $166,110 | 2,610 | 0.53 | 1.21 |
| 12 | Colorado profile | $47.89 | $99,610 | $64,770 | $169,400 | 1,910 | 0.67 | 1.53 |
| 13 | Oregon profile | $45.50 | $94,630 | $63,170 | $128,480 | 820 | 0.42 | 0.96 |
| 14 | Rhode Island profile | $45.26 | $94,130 | $60,930 | $160,350 | 320 | 0.65 | 1.48 |
| 15 | Illinois profile | $44.78 | $93,150 | $59,800 | $167,270 | 4,050 | 0.66 | 1.52 |
| 16 | Delaware profile | $44.42 | $92,390 | $57,790 | $162,760 | 430 | 0.88 | 2.01 |
| 17 | Utah profile | $44.23 | $92,000 | $55,000 | $155,440 | 960 | 0.55 | 1.27 |
| 18 | Alaska profile | $43.52 | $90,530 | $57,550 | $128,410 | 50 | 0.14 | 0.32 |
| 19 | South Dakota profile | $42.64 | $88,690 | $54,790 | $162,970 | 150 | 0.34 | 0.78 |
| 20 | Tennessee profile | $41.88 | $87,110 | $51,170 | $160,710 | 500 | 0.15 | 0.35 |
| 21 | South Carolina profile | $41.56 | $86,440 | $52,530 | $164,260 | 480 | 0.21 | 0.48 |
| 22 | Wisconsin profile | $41.50 | $86,320 | $64,490 | $149,120 | 580 | 0.20 | 0.45 |
| 23 | Mississippi profile | $41.07 | $85,430 | $44,990 | $137,880 | 420 | 0.36 | 0.83 |
| 24 | Idaho profile | $40.99 | $85,260 | $58,060 | $156,190 | 210 | 0.25 | 0.57 |
| 25 | Nevada profile | $40.70 | $84,650 | $50,750 | $131,210 | 180 | 0.12 | 0.27 |
| 26 | Louisiana profile | $40.54 | $84,310 | $50,800 | $164,300 | 240 | 0.12 | 0.28 |
| 27 | North Dakota profile | $39.73 | $82,640 | $60,560 | $128,670 | 220 | 0.51 | 1.16 |
| 28 | Indiana profile | $39.09 | $81,300 | $47,960 | $157,040 | 420 | 0.13 | 0.30 |
| 29 | Montana profile | $38.93 | $80,970 | $50,440 | $156,990 | 140 | 0.27 | 0.63 |
| 30 | Maine profile | $38.87 | $80,840 | $53,910 | $145,110 | 230 | 0.36 | 0.83 |
| 31 | New Hampshire profile | $38.85 | $80,810 | $59,220 | $203,840 | 130 | 0.19 | 0.44 |
| 32 | Oklahoma profile | $38.83 | $80,760 | $46,280 | $151,620 | 400 | 0.23 | 0.53 |
| 33 | Kansas profile | $38.66 | $80,420 | $55,330 | $147,990 | 470 | 0.33 | 0.75 |
| 34 | Iowa profile | $38.64 | $80,370 | $55,650 | $149,160 | 1,020 | 0.66 | 1.51 |
| 35 | Arizona profile | $38.59 | $80,260 | $60,000 | $129,300 | 1,910 | 0.59 | 1.35 |
| 36 | Missouri profile | $38.46 | $79,990 | $48,140 | $148,400 | 2,290 | 0.78 | 1.79 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania profile | $37.74 | $78,500 | $56,420 | $137,770 | 2,590 | 0.43 | 0.98 |
| 38 | Texas profile | $37.57 | $78,140 | $51,400 | $137,260 | 5,230 | 0.37 | 0.85 |
| 39 | Georgia profile | $37.36 | $77,710 | $53,100 | $166,540 | 1,450 | 0.30 | 0.68 |
| 40 | Kentucky profile | $36.66 | $76,260 | $50,400 | $135,570 | 640 | 0.32 | 0.73 |
| 41 | Florida profile | $36.65 | $76,230 | $49,190 | $129,090 | 4,190 | 0.42 | 0.97 |
| 42 | Vermont profile | $35.90 | $74,680 | $64,090 | $113,380 | 170 | 0.56 | 1.28 |
| 43 | Nebraska profile | $35.80 | $74,460 | $49,490 | $127,000 | 840 | 0.82 | 1.88 |
| 44 | Michigan profile | $34.16 | $71,050 | $50,310 | $121,620 | 710 | 0.16 | 0.37 |
| 45 | Ohio profile | $33.19 | $69,040 | $46,960 | $127,710 | 3,680 | 0.66 | 1.52 |
| 46 | New Mexico profile | $32.67 | $67,950 | $49,460 | $107,170 | 220 | 0.26 | 0.59 |
| 47 | Hawaii profile | $30.16 | $62,720 | $49,440 | $96,550 | 270 | 0.43 | 0.98 |
| 48 | West Virginia profile | $29.13 | $60,590 | $40,980 | $105,610 | 240 | 0.34 | 0.78 |
| 49 | Arkansas profile | $27.69 | $57,590 | $46,630 | $125,840 | 540 | 0.41 | 0.94 |
Part of Business and Financial Operations Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 13-2061 Financial Examiners.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 13-2061, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 13-2061.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.