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Credit Analysts

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeLower pressure

What they do

Analyze credit data and financial statements of individuals or firms to determine the degree of risk involved in extending credit or lending money. Prepare reports with credit information for use in decisionmaking.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $83,510 Median per year · $40.15/hr Most earn $56,250–$169,230

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Consult with customers to resolve complaints and verify financial and credit transactions.
  • Analyze credit data and financial statements to determine the degree of risk involved in extending credit or lending money.
  • Review individual or commercial customer files to identify and select delinquent accounts for collection.
  • Compare liquidity, profitability, and credit histories of establishments being evaluated with those of similar establishments in the same industries and geographic locations.
  • Confer with credit association and other business representatives to exchange credit information.
  • Analyze credit data and financial statements to determine the degree of risk involved in extending credit or lending money.

Job outlook

United States
4% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 3,100 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Credit intermediation and related activities48.1%
  • Management of companies and enterprises11.2%
  • Securities, commodity contracts, and other financial investments and related activities8.3%
  • Other nondepository credit intermediation7.3%
  • Merchant wholesalers, durable goods2.0%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Credit Analyst is not usually a first job out of school. Most people earn a bachelor's degree, then spend about 1 to 2 years in a related entry-level finance role before moving into this work, so plan on roughly 5 to 6 years from starting college.

  1. Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, economics, or business

    4 years

    You learn financial statements, how businesses borrow, and basic statistics, which are the core skills credit analysis uses.

  2. Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks

    1-2 years

    In this entry-level role you review applications and credit information up close, which builds the experience employers expect before you analyze risk on your own.

  3. Credit Analyst

    Ongoing

    You study financial statements and credit histories of people or companies, judge how risky a loan would be, and write reports that help lenders decide.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Credit Analyst

    3-5 years of experience first

    You handle larger or more complex accounts, review other analysts' work, and often explain your recommendations to managers.

  2. Loan Officer

    2-4 years of experience first

    You shift from analyzing risk to working with borrowers, reviewing applications, and approving or recommending loans, which usually needs sales and customer skills.

  3. Credit Manager

    5+ years of experience first

    You lead a team of analysts and set the credit policies the team follows, so strong leadership and communication matter as much as technical skill.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math, especially statistics or algebra 2Strong math skills make the bachelor's degree coursework in finance and accounting much easier.
  • Join a business, finance, or economics clubClubs like these introduce you to budgeting, markets, and how money decisions are made.
  • Take an economics or personal finance class if your school offers oneIt gives you a basic picture of how loans, interest, and credit work.
  • Get a part-time job that involves handling money or recordsWorking a cash register, bookkeeping for a family business, or a similar job builds responsibility with numbers.
  • Enter a math or business competitionCompetitions show you can solve problems under pressure, which is useful when you apply to college and later for jobs.

In college

  • Major in finance, accounting, or economicsThese majors cover financial statements, lending, and risk, which are the core of credit analysis.
  • Take a statistics or data analysis courseCredit decisions rely on data, so statistics helps you judge whether a borrower is likely to repay.
  • Pursue a finance or banking internshipAn internship gives you real experience with loan files and credit reports and helps you land your first entry-level job.
  • Work a campus job in the financial office or a bankCampus financial aid, bursar, or bank branch jobs build hands-on experience with accounts and customer records.
  • Learn Excel and consider a beginner financial analysis certificationStrong spreadsheet skills are used every day, and a certificate shows employers you are serious about the field.

Tips for getting started

  • Get comfortable with Excel early, since spreadsheets are a daily tool for building financial models and credit reports.
  • Look for part-time or summer jobs in banking, retail, or any setting where you handle money or customer accounts, and ask about the lending side.
  • Practice writing short, clear summaries of numbers. Credit analysts must explain risk to people who are not finance experts.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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