How much can I earn working in finance?

By Niamh Ollerton Updated Sep 16, 2021

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Introduction
Closer look at the top 10

Discover what MBA employers are looking for

QS has released its latest Global Employer Survey Report 2022 shining a light on the world of work for MBA graduates.

The report takes a closer look at salaries for MBA specialisations, the functions employers are looking for in MBA recruits, hiring outlook, skills and so much more.

This article tells the average salaries offered by employers to MBAs hired in financial roles in a number of locations across the globe.

Let’s take a look at the top 10 locations for MBA grads with financial specialisations under their belt.

Top 10 Locations for Finance Salaries in 2022
Rank	Location	Salary
1	Saudi Arabia	US$180,000
2	United Arab Emirates	US$137,500
3	Australia	US$127,125
4	Italy	US$123,507
5	Germany	US$120,000
6	United States	US$117,300
7	Ireland	US$111,951
8	France	US$111,860
9	Hong Kong SAR	US$100,000
10	United Kingdom	US$98,974

Finance has long been one of the most lucrative sectors for employees to land positions in, and with an MBA qualification too, the sky really is the limit.

In fact, QS’s salary report finds that Saudi Arabia, the highest-paid location for financial roles – with MBA grads earning an average salary of US$180,000 – is the second-highest salary record across sectors throughout the world. This salary is only topped by IT/Tech roles in Saudi Arabia, with MBA grads earning an average salary of US$240,000.

When looking at this data, it’s easy to see that Saudi Arabian employers offer some of the highest base salaries in MBA employment.

Closer look at the top 10

Although the UK takes 10th place in this year’s top 10 for financial salaries, MBA grads landing a role in finance still earn US$98,974. That being said, there’s a difference in salary of US$80,974 between the UK and Saudi Arabia.

United Arab Emirates, this year’s second place in the top 10 offers MBA grads looking for financial roles an average salary of US$137,500. Finance is the one area in the United Arab Emirates when looking at salaries per specialisation which offers both a large number of career opportunities and a salary that can compete with other career destinations.

Australia lands in third place this year for finance which consistently ranks as a top career path for MBA students and MBA graduates who enjoy some of the highest salaries in finance across the world, beating both the UK and US – with MBA grads in Australia earning an average salary of US$127,125.

When considering salary specialisations, MBA graduates in Italy should continue to look for roles in finance, strategic planning and consultancy, with finance earning the highest average salary of all three specialisations at US$123,507.

As the proud home of Wall Street, it’s unsurprising that the US offers the highest MBA salaries in consulting, finance, and sales, three sectors which underpin America’s economy. MBA finance grads could earn an average salary of US$117,300.

See the full list of average salaries by MBA specialisation according to the report here.

To find out the best MBA programmes for finance specialisations, follow this link for QS MBA by Career Specialization Rankings 2021: Finance.

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MBA salaries

Finance

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Written by

Niamh Ollerton

Niamh was Deputy Head of Content at QS (TopMBA.com; topuniversities.com), creating and editing content for an international student audience. Having gained her journalism qualification at the Press Association, London and since written for different international publications, she's now enjoying telling the stories of students, alumni, faculty, entrepreneurs and organizations from across the globe.