Finance graduate jobs 2025

There are many career options out there for finance graduates. If you enjoy working with numbers and want to use your mathematical skills to solve problems, then you might enjoy the following roles:

• Financial analyst
• Financial advisor
• Investment banker
• Equity trader
• Auditor
• Accountant
• Hedge fund manager
• Chief financial officer

Finance degrees usually cover topics like the financial market, financial planning, risk management, controlling costs, and raising funds. Most finance graduates will have the basic skills needed to get a job within the sector.

If you don’t have a finance degree, this doesn’t mean you won’t be able to land yourself a finance job.

STEM graduates are also great candidates for finance roles because they tend to have advanced numerical and data analysis skills. These are just two of the transferrable skills STEM graduates learn which will prove valuable in a finance role. For example, crunching numbers, and analysing and documenting financial information are two key elements for accountants and hedge fund managers.

Entering the finance industry through an alternative route to a finance degree is actually very common and encouraged.

Applications for many graduate jobs in finance are available in September/October, and employers tend to set application deadlines in November and December. In some cases, applications for finance graduate jobs are open all year round. We recommend applying as early as possible to boost your chances of beating the competition.

Graduate finance jobs are a great way to break into the sector because you’ll get hands-on experience and the opportunity to work directly with and learn from experienced professionals in the industry.

Working in finance can be competitive because it offers plenty of benefits including high earning potential, career growth opportunities, and heaps of career options to choose from. There’s also an opportunity to advance in your education – for example by doing extra banking or wealth management qualifications.

Graduate jobs in finance typically pay well, but it depends on the role, where you're based and the employer. For example, according to Glassdoor , the average UK salary in 2024 for graduate jobs in finance was £31,935 a year, and £34,857 a year in London.

Take the findings with a pinch of salt as they do vary. To give you an idea, according to 2023 research by the Institute of Student Employers the average UK graduate salary across all sectors is just over £35,000. Meanwhile, findings from the Department for Education Official Statistics suggest it’s £38,500.