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Credit Management

Types of Degrees Credit Management Majors Are Earning

Those studying Credit Management have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	4

What Credit Management Majors Need to Know

Programs in Credit Management emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Credit Management graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Credit Management emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Economics and Accounting — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Credit Management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Credit Management careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Credit Management graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Credit Management professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Oracle PeopleSoft	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Dynamics	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
LexisNexis	Information retrieval or search software	—
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Credit Management graduates include:

• Financial Aid Advisor
• Financial Assistance Advisor
• Home Lending Advisor
• Financial Aid Officer
• Financial Aid Counselor
• Financial Aid Coordinator
• Credit Specialist
• Credit Representative
• Portfolio Manager
• Credit Manager
• Certified Credit Consultant
• Personal Finance Counselor
• Credit Counselor
• Certified Consumer Credit and Housing Counselor
• Credit Balance Specialist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Credit Management graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	59.2%
Master’s degree	12.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	12.0%
Some college courses	5.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.2%
Postsecondary certificate	3.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.7%
First professional degree	0.8%
Post-master’s certificate	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Credit Management?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 50% women and 50% men among Credit Management graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2	50.0%
Men	2	50.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Credit Management graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	4	100.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Credit Management Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Credit Management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$60,617
4 years	$75,528
5 years	$88,287

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $88,287 — roughly 46% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Credit Management Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Credit Management graduates earn a median of $75,528 four years after completion — roughly 99% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Finance and Financial Management Services	52.08
Banking and Financial Support Services	52.0803
Finance and Financial Management Services, Other	52.0899
Finance, General	52.0801
Financial Planning and Services	52.0804
Financial Risk Management	52.0810
International Finance	52.0806
Investments and Securities	52.0807
Public Finance	52.0808
Accounting and Business/Management	52.0305
Accounting and Finance	52.0304
Accounting	52.0301

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.