Work Smarter, Not Harder: Surprisingly Easy Jobs in Finance You Need to Know About (2024)

Finding an easy job in finance may seem daunting, but with the right approach, you can certainly land a great position. You can find the right job for you by searching online job boards for entry-level positions in finance. You can also seek the help of staffing agencies specializing in finance placements. And remember, networking with industry professionals is always a good idea as it can lead to hidden job opportunities.

Easy Jobs in Finance

Accounts Payable Analyst

An Accounts Payable Analyst serves in an organization's accounts payable/receivable department. In this role, you will be responsible for ensuring that vendor payments are processed on time. You will also be responsible for maintaining accurate records so that you can contact vendors who may have past-due accounts. If you have an innovative or creative mindset, it would also be helpful to recommend improvements to the accounts payable/receivable processes. This job is easy because it follows standard processes and procedures without the need to process complex tasks.

To become an Accounts Payable Analyst, you must obtain a bachelor's degree in finance or accounting and have at least two years of experience. The salary range for this role is between $53,000 to $70,000.*

Actuary

As an Actuary, you will conduct pricing and risk assessment to estimate the financial outcomes of future events. You mainly find actuaries in the insurance and retirement fields. To excel in this field, having a good grasp of evaluating probabilities, statistical models, and the basic principles of finance and business would be helpful. You will use your mathematical knowledge to calculate life, health, casualty insurance, annuities, and pension payments. The main driver is to find the probability that an event, such as fire, natural disaster, or death, will occur when determining insurability and future pension payments. Working as an actuary, you'll find that your role will have limited complexity and low stress.

You can land a job as an Actuary right out of college with a bachelor's degree and no experience. The salary range for this role is between $67,000 to $84,000.

Business Data Analyst

Suppose you're looking for an entry-level role that supports and contributes to projects and processes that develop analytical strategies that support an organization's future initiatives. In that case, a role in data science and business analytics may be what you're looking for. This Business Data Analyst role is another role that requires statistical analysis, so it's important to understand how finance plays a key role in business performance. With a degree in business finance, you'll be able to use statistical methods and data analysis to develop dashboards, infographics, and reports to tell a story that helps aid organizational decision-making. A Business Data Analyst role is typically entry-level and supports senior-level business leaders.

To become a Business Data Analyst, you must obtain a bachelor's degree in finance or statistics. However, no experience is required, and you could earn between is between $60,000 to $76,000.

How Finance Works is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the world of finance. It is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to understand how money works and how to make sound financial decisions.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

Finance Support Coordinator

If you're interested in learning more about investments, mergers, and acquisitions, a Finance Support Coordinator role can help you understand how to negotiate opportunities for an organization. As a Finance Support Coordinator, you can assist in collecting the data needed to prepare proposals and presentations. More importantly, if you are looking for an easy finance job, you won't have to worry about presenting to corporate leaders. You will coordinate the meetings and ensure that everyone is prepared to discuss the information you have gathered for future M&As. However, you will need a basic understanding of industry-level databases and spreadsheets to help you collect and manage the data you gather.

The requirements for a Finance Support Coordinator are typically one to three years of experience and a bachelor's degree. The salary range for this role is between $48,000 to $65,000.

Finance Associate

A corporate-level Financial Associate is slightly different than a Financial Support Coordinator. A corporate Financial Associate works with an organization's financial data to help them make decisions like, compensation, sales, or production goals. Suppose an organization is thinking about a merger or acquisition. In that case, the financial associate provides the organization with a clear picture of how each department and the organization is functioning quarterly or annually. It's a limited complexity role that takes historical data to help predict future growth opportunities.

While no direct experience is required as a corporate-level Finance Associate, it may require a bachelor's degree in finance. The salary range for this role is between $69,000 to $82,000.

Financial Counselor

Financial Counselor jobs are available in just about every organization. You could find a job available in an education where you guide college students in making financial decisions on how they will fund their education. When working with students, you will help them make the best decision possible for their financial future and help them achieve the desired education.

You could also work in a hospital to help guide patients in completing paperwork that could help them to afford or pay for their healthcare expenses. When working in the healthcare industry, you will determine patient coverage levels and benefit limits with their health insurance providers. Most hospitals have aid available to patients through alternative funding or assistance from social service agencies.

Helping students and patients prepare and file any documentation needed to complete payment arrangements and secure funding can be rewarding. It can also be surprisingly easy once you understand the aid available to help them achieve their goals.

Knowing financial practices and procedures will be helpful if you seek a role in financial counseling. You can enter this job with a high school diploma and at least one to two years of experience. Since this job is entry-level, the pay ranges between $37,000 and $47,000.

Small Business Administration Loan Officer

There's nothing like giving back to your community. An SBA Loan Officer is different from your typical loan officer. Your goal is to support the growth and development of small businesses in your local area through the development of government-guaranteed loans and lines of credit.

How will you do this? It's easy. Business owners will provide you with their financial and organizational information. You can structure an SBA loan proposal, complete the underwriting, and prepare a credit package that fits the business owner's needs. This is all accomplished by building working relationships with business owners in your community so that you can understand their business needs.

Let's face it. Government regulations can be complex, so you must stay current on SBA products, rules, and regulations. However, as an SBA loan officer, you can continue your career in finance and build quality community relationships with local business owners.

If you have experience working with loan origination and business development, you can land an SBA loan officer role. Obtaining a degree in finance or business can increase your earning potential and chances of pursuing a career in banking. The salary range for this role is between $90,000 to $116,000. You may also be eligible for commission.

Considerations For Choosing a Career in Finance:

Salary:When choosing your job, it's important to consider if the salary meets your needs. Consider if it will help you afford your monthly living expenses, benefit deductions, and transportation costs to and from work. You should also determine if you will have enough funds at the end of the month to put money aside in savings.

Work-life Balance:When searching for an easy job in finance, you may be looking for an adequate work-life balance. If most of your time is spent at work and you have little time for extracurricular activities that you enjoy, then the job and the salary may not be worth the imbalance.

Growth Opportunity:Most easy jobs are considered entry-level due to the role's level of responsibility or complexity. This may be exactly what you're looking for today. However, if you are entering into finance and will seek growth opportunities in the future, it's important to research the career path of the job you choose. If you can't find a clear path for growth, it may be difficult for you to transition out of the role when you are ready.

Job Satisfaction: Once you enter your chosen profession, it's essential to assess your satisfaction periodically. If you are constantly regretting your decision, then it's time to consider your options. Whether applying for a different role in your current organization, an external organization, or even changing your career path, job satisfaction is essential to your physical, financial, and mental health.

Ultimately, the easiest job in finance best fits your skills, experience, and interests. Whatever job you choose, ensure that it offers an excellent work-life balance and a chance to use your financial skills to help others.

*All salary ranges are as of May 2023.