Senior Financial Analyst: Facts, Skills, and Next Paths

A Senior Financial Analyst prepares and reviews financial reports, builds spreadsheet models, and performs variance analysis to compare actual results against budgets and forecasts. Day-to-day work includes consolidating regional financials, supporting annual budgets and quarterly forecasts, and delivering financial reviews to business partners.

The role sits at the intersection of finance, operations, and data analytics. At Fidelity Investments, analysts support Enterprise Technology analytics by analyzing expense spend and providing advice to business units. At Medical Mutual, they generate management reports and perform complex financial analysis for a large health insurer. Other employers like Faurecia and LS Solutions hire for similar responsibilities, including SEC reporting and long-range strategic planning.

The median salary for Senior Financial Analysts is approximately $114,500, and the most-requested skills in current postings are Analytics & Reporting (80% of postings), Forecasting (60%), Financial Analysis (40%), Financial Reporting (40%), Spreadsheet Modeling (40%), and Variance Analysis (40%).