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Careers›Roles›Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Executive

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

As Chief Financial Officer, you lead the finance function and serve as a senior strategic partner to the CEO — overseeing accounting, treasury, FP&A, investor relations, and the financial architecture of the company. The role is one of the most consequential seats in any organization.

Related occupations pay a median of $206K, and jobs in this field are projected to grow 4% through 2034.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
E
C
S
I
A
R
Enterprisingleading, persuading
Conventionalorganizing, detail-oriented
Based on Holland Code framework
Industries that often hire Chief Financial Officer (CFO)s
Professional Services · 19%Government · 12%Healthcare · 9%Education · 8%Financial Services · 8%Manufacturing · 6%
Job markets for Chief Financial Officer (CFO)s
Where Chief Financial Officer (CFO) jobs concentrate · ~327 metro areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
Finance
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
Jump to:What it's likeCareer pathsBy the numbers

While you’re learning about the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) role, anything we can help you with this week?

What it's like

What it's like to be a Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

A typical week often blends executive leadership work, external relationships, and operational finance oversight — leadership team meetings, conversations with investors and lenders, audit cycles, and the strategic discussions that shape capital allocation and direction. You'll often spend significant time on board engagement and on the cyclical demands of reporting and forecasting.

The harder part is often carrying personal accountability for financial accuracy, controls, and disclosure. You'll typically navigate complex strategic calls — investment, M&A, capital structure — where the answer requires quantitative rigor and judgment about risk, while staying credible with operating leaders whose work you're also evaluating financially.

People who tend to thrive here are strategically minded, technically expert, and able to hold long-term and short-term realities simultaneously. The trade-off is the visibility and personal weight of the role — the CFO's name is on the financials. If you find satisfaction in shaping the financial direction of an organization at the highest level, this role can be a defining destination in business.

What people in this role value
RecognitionHigh
IndependenceHigh
AchievementHigh
Working ConditionsHigh
SupportAbove avg
RelationshipsAbove avg
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns

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Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

Earning potential across this track
$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying386 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
Energy & Utilities$94K+10%
Technology & Information$94K+9%
Professional Services$92K+7%
Financial Services$83K-3%
Government$82K-4%
Compared to Finance average across all industries
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Chief Financial Officer (CFO)s (SOC 11-1011.00), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
Related rolesExplore Finance →
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)Chief Technology Officer (CTO)Financial Institution PresidentChief Administrative Officer (CAO)Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)Chief Diversity Officer (CDO)Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)CEO (Chief Executive Officer)Chief Operating Officer (COO)CLO (Chief Legal Officer)Bank PresidentChief Innovation Officer (CINO)Chief Information Officer (CIO)Chief Technical Officer (CTO)Hospital CFO (Hospital Chief Financial Officer)

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✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$74K–$208K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
212K
U.S. Employment
+4.3%
10yr Growth
22K
Annual Openings

How Chief Financial Officer (CFO) pay & employment are changing

$77K$74K$72K$69K$66K201920202021202220232024$66K$77K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

Judgment and Decision MakingCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingCoordinationManagement of Personnel ResourcesSpeakingManagement of Financial ResourcesSystems EvaluationSocial PerceptivenessSystems Analysis
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
Mapped SOC Codes
11-1011.00

Explore related roles

Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths

directorSafety Council Director$137KexecutiveChief Technology Officer (CTO)$206KdirectorWelfare Director$142KmidRoad Commissioner$45KmidHealth Commissioner$45KmidRailroad Commissioner$45K
View all Finance roles →

Common questions about what it's like to be a Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

What does a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) do?

As Chief Financial Officer, you lead the finance function and serve as a senior strategic partner to the CEO — overseeing accounting, treasury, FP&A, investor relations, and the financial architecture of the company. The role is one of the most consequential seats in any organization.

How much does a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) make?

Median pay for a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is about $206K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $74K to $208K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).

What skills does a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) need?

Core skills for this role include Judgment and Decision Making, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Coordination, and Management of Personnel Resources.

What education do you need to be a Chief Financial Officer (CFO)?

Most people in this role hold a master's degree.

Is a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in demand?

Employment in this field is projected to grow about 4.3% through 2034, with roughly 211,850 people working in it today (BLS).

What jobs are similar to a Chief Financial Officer (CFO)?

Closely related roles include Safety Council Director, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and Welfare Director.

Career advice

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) career advice

Do one small thing to grow in your career this week. Pick one of these; each comes with the words to use.

  • Micro habitTaking time to think without being misread as checked out.Say you're thinking before you go quiet
  • WorksheetPassing on work so the next person can pick it up without chasing you.Hand off work so nothing drops
  • Simple exerciseSee a company the way its own people do, before you ask to join it.Understand a company before you apply
  • Simple exerciseWeigh formal learning, from a short course to a longer program, and decide on purpose.Decide whether a course is worth it

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More career advice

  • Tell your manager how you like feedback
  • Keep a running wins list
  • Take the notes for the group
  • Give feedback with what you saw and why it mattered
  • Summarize their view before you share yours
  • Find your gap to the next level
  • Sort feedback that stung
  • Explore a move inside your company

We believe careers grow through small steps taken often, more than big leaps. So we’ve collected hundreds of them for you to try.

Browse career advice

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.

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