Mid-Level

Model Risk Manager

Models drive consequential decisions in financial services — and as a model risk manager, you own the governance program that validates, monitors, and oversees the models used in credit, market risk, fraud, and capital allocation.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
I
C
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A
R
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Investigativeanalytical, curious
Conventionalorganizing, detail-oriented
Based on Holland Code framework
Job markets for Model Risk Managers
Employment concentration · ~251 areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
What it's like

What it's like to be a Model Risk Manager

The model inventory and its associated validations anchor the daily working view — approving new models for use, monitoring ongoing performance, scheduling revalidations, escalating model issues to senior risk leadership. You're often the senior voice when model behavior surprises trading or risk teams. Model-inventory health, validation timeliness, and regulator-readiness anchor the visible measures.

Where it gets demanding is the regulator attention on model risk management — SR 11-7 in banking, similar frameworks elsewhere, and exam findings can move quickly to enforcement. Variance across employers is sharp: large banks have layered model-risk teams; at insurers and fintechs model risk management runs alongside emerging regulatory expectations.

Strong model risk managers tend to be quantitatively grounded, governance-disciplined, and diplomatic with model owners. The trade-off is the regulator-attention exposure built into the senior MRM role. FRM, CFA, and quantitative graduate backgrounds anchor advancement.

IndependenceAbove avg
AchievementAbove avg
Working ConditionsAbove avg
RecognitionAbove avg
RelationshipsModerate
SupportModerate
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns
Career Paths

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

$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Model Risk Managers (SOC 13-2099.01), 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.
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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.

$46K–$152K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
127K
U.S. Employment
+3.1%
10yr Growth
10K
Annual Openings

How this category is changing

$74K$71K$68K$65K$62K201920202021202220232024$62K$74K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

MathematicsCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionComplex Problem SolvingJudgment and Decision MakingActive LearningSpeakingActive ListeningWritingSystems Analysis
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
13-2099.01

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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.