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Investments & Securities

Types of Degrees Investments & Securities Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Investments & Securities can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	155
Master’s Degree	259

What Investments & Securities Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Investments & Securities emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Investments & Securities graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Investments & Securities emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Economics and Accounting — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Sales and Marketing — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Investments & Securities program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

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

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Investments & Securities careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Investments & Securities graduates report doing:

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Investments & Securities professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Sage 50 Accounting	Accounting software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
FileMaker Pro	Data base user interface and query software	—
Aspen Graphics Technical Analysis Software	Financial analysis software	—
IBM Cognos Impromptu	Business intelligence and data analysis software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Investments & Securities graduates include:

• Bank and Savings Securities Trader
• Money Manager
• Investment Banker
• Trust Officer
• Investment Officer
• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
• Equity Trader
• Financial Advisor
• Real-Time Energy Trader
• Financial Specialist
• Hybrid Derivatives Trader
• Floor Broker
• Mutual Funds Agent
• Premier Banker
• Relationship Banker

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	48.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	23.2%
Doctoral degree	9.8%
Master’s degree	6.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	5.3%
Some college courses	5.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.0%
Postsecondary certificate	0.9%
First professional degree	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Investments & Securities?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 79.5% of Investments & Securities degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	85	20.5%
Men	329	79.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Investments & Securities graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	260	62.8%
Asian	15	3.6%
Hispanic or Latino	25	6.0%
Black or African American	17	4.1%
Two or More Races	23	5.6%
Race Unknown	14	3.4%
International Students	60	14.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Investments & Securities Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Investments & Securities graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb 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 Investments & Securities Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Investments & Securities 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
Credit Management	52.0809
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
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.