Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Financial Analyst
What financial analysts actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
Review overnight market news and yesterday’s sales results. From there, the day usually includes build financial models and forecasts, analyze financial statements and performance, and prepare budgets and variance analyses. Most work full-time; month-end, budget season and investment deadlines can bring long hours.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a financial analyst working full time.
- Review overnight market news and yesterday’s sales results.
- Update the monthly forecast model with new actuals.
- Investigate a variance in marketing spending.
- Meet a department head to review next year’s budget.
- Build a return on investment analysis for new equipment.
- Create charts and slides for the CFO.
- Check data quality in the reporting dashboard.
Where financial analysts work
Analysts work in offices or remotely at banks, corporations, investment firms, insurers and government agencies. The work is mostly at a computer.
Hours and schedule
Most work full-time; month-end, budget season and investment deadlines can bring long hours.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Build financial models and forecasts
- Analyze financial statements and performance
- Prepare budgets and variance analyses
- Research companies, industries and markets
- Evaluate investments and projects
- Present findings and recommendations
- Track key performance indicators
Tools you’ll use every day
- Excel and Google Sheets
- ERP systems such as SAP or Oracle
- BI tools such as Power BI or Tableau
- Bloomberg or FactSet
- PowerPoint
- SQL
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- High pay and advancement
- Analytical, strategic work
- Opportunities in every industry
- Remote and hybrid options
What’s hard
- Long hours at deadlines
- Pressure for accuracy
- Lots of screen time
- Competitive investment roles
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I love numbers and spreadsheets
- I like finding the story in data
- I’m detail-oriented
- I can explain analysis clearly
- I want a high-paying business career
- I’m comfortable with deadlines
Not sure? Take the free Financial Analyst fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Protect confidential financial data
- Use version control for models
- Check formulas to prevent costly errors
- Manage workload and screen time