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Commercial lending & risk
Credit Analyst
Deciding whether a business can pay back what it wants to borrow.
Typical pay
$60k-$110k
How you get in
Finance or accounting degree
Outlook
Steady; credit training programs are a reliable entry into banking
Credit analysts evaluate the creditworthiness of borrowers and recommend lending decisions. It is rigorous financial analysis with a clear path into commercial lending and corporate finance.
A day in the life
- 8:30aSpread financial statements for a new loan request
- 10:00aAnalyze cash flow and debt service coverage
- 12:00pLunch
- 1:00pIndustry research on the borrower's sector
- 2:30pWrite the credit memo and recommendation
- 4:00pLoan committee presentation
How to get in
Bank credit training program
Duration
4 years plus 6-18 months of training
Cost
$40,000-$150,000
Credential
Bachelor's in finance or accounting
- Complete a finance or accounting degree with strong statement analysis skills
- Enter a bank's formal credit training program
- Learn spreading, cash flow analysis and credit structure
- Move to portfolio manager, then relationship manager or lender
Accounting into credit
Duration
2-4 years
Cost
$0
Credential
Accounting degree; CFA optional
- Start in accounting or audit and learn financial statements deeply
- Move into a credit analyst role, where that grounding is a real advantage
- Learn the lending side — structure, covenants, collateral
- Well-worn path into commercial banking
Credit into lending or credit funds
Duration
3-6 years
Cost
$0-$6,000
Credential
CFA or bank credit certifications
- Build several years of underwriting experience
- Move to relationship management, where you originate rather than analyze
- Or move to private credit and direct lending funds
- Both routes pay substantially above the analyst level
What people love
- · Rigorous training in financial analysis
- · Direct path into commercial lending
- · Better hours than investment banking
- · Skills transfer to corporate finance and credit funds
What wears people down
- · Detail-intensive statement analysis
- · Pressure from lenders wanting approvals
- · Accountable when a loan goes bad
- · Can be repetitive in a stable portfolio