Career Spotlight: Financial Manager Jobs for MBA Graduates

As businesses become more data-driven and globally interconnected, the role of finance has evolved to include strategic and leadership responsibilities. That’s one reason employers increasingly seek finance professionals with business acumen—especially the abilities to lead, communicate effectively, think strategically, and manage risk in uncertain environments. 

According to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Future of Jobs Report, 66 percent of companies in the financial services and capital markets industry identified leadership and social influence as core skills for their workforce. Eighty percent listed analytical thinking as a core skill, 65 percent described creative thinking as crucial, and 73 percent of financial services companies value resilience, flexibility and agility. 

Prospective Master of Business Administration (MBA) students seeking financial manager jobs face a unique opportunity to advance. Earning an MBA can put you on the fast track to leadership roles that demand financial expertise and an executive mindset. 

This article explores what financial managers do, where they work, and how earning an MBA, like the online MBA from Howard University, can accelerate your path to leadership in this dynamic field.

What Does a Financial Manager Do?

A financial manager is a senior professional responsible for ensuring a company’s stability and supporting its growth. Key functions include shaping long-term investment strategy, preparing budgets, analyzing data, leading finance teams and advising the C-suite on high-level business decisions. 

Typical day-to-day responsibilities of financial managers include: 

• Reviewing and analyzing financial data, reports, and dashboards
• Meeting with department heads to discuss budgets or forecasts
• Presenting financial updates to executives and stakeholders
• Adjusting financial strategies based on performance or market shifts
• Leading the finance team to ensure they meet key deliverables
• Managing internal controls, audits, and regulatory filings
• Conducting scenario planning or risk assessments
• Evaluating investment opportunities or capital expenditures

Where Do Financial Managers Work?

Financial managers play a critical role across a wide range of industries. While many work in finance and insurance, demand for their expertise also extends to sectors such as government, healthcare, technology, and nonprofits.

Financial managers’ core competencies — like forecasting, reporting, risk assessment and decision-making — remain consistent across industries, but their prioritization shifts depending on industry and organizational goals. Here’s a breakdown of key settings and how responsibilities might vary:

• In finance and insurance, financial managers focus heavily on investment strategy, portfolio risk, and regulatory compliance.
• Jobs in government typically emphasize budget planning, financial oversight, and ensuring transparency with taxpayer funds.
• With rising costs and complex regulations, healthcare financial managers focus on balancing budgeting with strategic cost-saving initiatives.
• In technology firms, financial managers work closely with innovation teams to secure funding, manage growth, and support IPOs or acquisitions.
• In the corporate and nonprofit sectors, these professionals ensure fiscal accountability and align budgets with strategic goals.

Financial Manager Salary and Job Outlook (2025)

The financial manager job market should grow by 17 percent over the next decade, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Demand for services provided by financial managers, such as planning, directing, and coordinating investments, should drive employment in the sector. Several specialties within financial management, such as cash management and risk management, are also expected to be in especially high demand.

Financial managers earn an average of $161,700 a year. Those in the top 10th percentile earn over $239,000. Location can play a significant role in compensation. The annual median wage for financial managers in New York is $215,740; those in New Jersey earn around $188,750 a year, while financial managers in Minnesota average $158,040 in annual income. An MBA can improve upward mobility and help candidates stand out in this strong job market.

Financial Manager Jobs With Leadership Profiles

In addition to becoming a financial manager, MBA graduates may pursue a variety of financial leadership roles. They include:

• Chief financial officer (CFO): Leads all financial functions and contributes to executive-level decision-making
• Controller: Manages accounting practices, compliance and reporting
• Corporate treasurer: Handles liquidity, risk management, and investment strategy
• Financial planning and analysis (FP&A) manager: Focuses on budgeting, forecasting and performance analysis
• Finance director: Oversees an organization’s overall financial operations and strategy
• Finance and operations manager: Combines financial oversight with strategic operational management
• General finance manager: Provides broad financial leadership across departments or business units
• Automotive finance manager: Specializes in dealership and customer financing operations
• Finance management consultant: Advises businesses on improving financial performance, often as part of a consultancy firm
• Project finance manager (finance project manager): Oversees budgets and funding for large-scale projects
• Financial reporting manager: Ensures accurate and timely financial reporting for internal and external stakeholders
• Senior-level finance manager: Focuses on high-level analysis and team leadership; often a prelude to director or VP-level roles

Why an MBA Is a Smart Move for Financial Leadership

In a competitive financial job market, technical expertise alone isn’t enough. Employers increasingly seek leaders who can guide teams and translate financial data into strategic action. That’s where earning an MBA can add substantial value.  An MBA program can help you develop highly relevant skills, including:

• Data-driven decision-making: Learn how to gather, analyze, and interpret financial data to inform high-stakes business decisions.
• Leadership and communication: Strengthen your ability to manage conflict and communicate complex ideas to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strategy and risk management: Understand how to identify and manage risk while aligning financial decisions with long-term business strategies.

The online MBA curriculum at Howard University reflects the real demands of financial leadership. Courses like Statistics and Business Analysis examine the managerial use of statistical concepts and data analysis, covering descriptive statistics, probability, sampling, statistical inference, correlation, and regression analysis. A course in Cyber Risk Management provides an overview and broad understanding of cybersecurity principles and concepts relating to the security of information assets and cyber-risk management.

How Howard’s Online MBA Prepares You for Financial Management

Howard’s online MBA program is ideal for aspiring financial managers who want to expand their business expertise and learn to balance growth potential with risk management. As an online MBA student, you can expect to gain the skills needed for financial manager jobs with leadership skills like communication, problem-solving, strategic and ethical management, and decision-making. 

The Howard online MBA curriculum also includes strategic finance courses that explore advanced topics like capital markets, risk analysis, and financial modelling, providing the analytical tools needed to lead. The program’s online modality enables you to learn at your own pace; experienced faculty who understand the finance industry further distinguish a Howard MBA. 

Build Your Future in Financial Leadership

With strong job growth, competitive salaries and broad industry reach, becoming a financial manager is a compelling career path. An MBA can accelerate your journey if you’re ready to rise to the challenge. Howard University’s online MBA is designed to help future financial leaders develop the key skills employers seek in addition to financial expertise, in a flexible format that allows them to earn a graduate degree without having to relocate or put their career on hold.  

Are you ready to start building your future in financial leadership? Explore the Howard online MBA program, schedule an application walkthrough or start your application now.