Key facts
- The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of financial and investment analysts to grow 7.2% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations.
- Credit analyst jobs are projected to shrink 4.3% over the same decade; in 2025 the BLS linked an earlier projected decline to AI’s ability to synthesise large amounts of data.
- The BLS adjusts its projections for AI only where there is convincing evidence and says uncertainty about the impacts remains very high.
- A 2023 Department for Education analysis found the UK’s finance and insurance sector more exposed to AI than any other – exposure, not job losses.
- At Level I you choose a Practical Skills Module: Financial Modeling or Python Programming Fundamentals; the module on Python, data science and AI is a Level II option (check the official website).
- No dataset links holding the charter to protection from AI: the projections are by occupation, not by qualification.
On the public evidence, AI has not removed the case for the CFA® Program. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics, which builds AI into its projections where it sees convincing evidence, expects jobs for financial and investment analysts to grow 7.2% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations – and credit analyst jobs to shrink by 4.3%. (BLS, Employment Projections 2025–35, Table 1.2) (BLS, AI impacts on employment projections)
It is a fair question to ask before you commit. The CFA® Program, run by CFA Institute, takes at least 300 study hours for Level I alone, by the estimates of prep websites (Soleadea, study hours (secondary source)), and AI tools are changing while you would be studying. Nobody knows how finance jobs will look in ten years, and this page does not guess. It sets out what US government statisticians project, how they treat AI, what other public bodies estimate – quoted as theirs – and what the programme itself now asks you to learn about data. It is general information, not financial or careers advice.
What do US government projections say about finance jobs?
The BLS projects employment ten years ahead, occupation by occupation. Its latest edition runs from 2025 to 2035:
| Occupation (SOC code) | Jobs in 2025 | Change 2025–35 | Openings a year | Median wage 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial and investment analysts (13-2051) | 377,200 | +7.2% | 24,700 | $102,740 |
| Financial risk specialists (13-2054) | 66,000 | +7.4% | 4,800 | $117,330 |
| Personal financial advisors (13-2052) | 299,400 | +1.4% | 17,100 | $105,070 |
| Financial managers (11-3031) | 879,700 | +9.7% | 65,600 | $166,570 |
| Accountants and auditors (13-2011) | 1,595,200 | +5.0% | 115,300 | $83,680 |
| Data scientists (15-2051) | 275,600 | +34.6% | 24,800 | $120,230 |
| Credit analysts (13-2041) | 64,700 | −4.3% | 3,100 | $83,510 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks (43-3031) | 1,532,400 | −5.6% | 144,100 | $50,670 |
| All occupations (00-0000) | 170,280,800 | +3.5% | 17,461,800 | $50,980 |
Openings are every job that becomes free in an average year: new jobs plus the places of people who retire or move to another occupation. For financial analysts, the BLS expects many openings to come from replacing such workers (BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook), which is why even a shrinking occupation keeps hiring – credit analysts still have about 3,100 openings a year. The table describes occupations, not the effect of any qualification. (BLS, Employment Projections 2025–35, Table 1.2)
How does the BLS take AI into account?
The BLS says it researched large language models, image and video generation and agentic AI for its projections, and that it “generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change”. It also writes that “the uncertainty about potential impacts remains very high”. (BLS, AI impacts on employment projections) Read the projections as a careful baseline, not a promise: if AI moves faster than the evidence the BLS had, later editions can look different.
In February 2025, BLS economists published their reasoning for business and financial occupations, using the earlier 2023–33 projections. For financial and investment analysts they expected software to make comparisons across securities faster, but “the final investment decisions associated with it will still be made by humans”, and projected growth of 9.5%. For credit analysts they noted that “AI can synthesize large amounts of data and reach big-picture conclusions” and projected a decline of 3.9%. (BLS, Monthly Labor Review, February 2025) The 2025–35 edition keeps both directions: +7.2% for analysts, −4.3% for credit analysts.
Projections also move from one edition to the next. For personal financial advisors, the same article expected demand for human advisers to stay strong despite app-based “robo-advisors” and projected 17.1% growth for 2023–33; the 2025–35 edition projects 1.4%. The pages we used do not explain the change. (BLS, Monthly Labor Review, February 2025) (BLS, Employment Projections 2025–35, Table 1.2)
Is finance more exposed to AI than other work?
In the UK, the Department for Education found in 2023 that “the finance & insurance sector is more exposed to AI than any other sector”. Among occupations most exposed to AI applications, it ranked financial managers and directors second and finance and investment analysts and advisers eighth. The analysis measures exposure – how far the abilities a job needs overlap with what AI can do – “rather than distinguishing whether a job will be augmented (aided) or replaced (substituted) by AI”. (Department for Education, AI and UK jobs, 2023)
Across all kinds of work, the International Monetary Fund estimated in January 2024 that “almost 40 percent of global employment is exposed to AI” and that in advanced economies “about 60 percent of jobs may be impacted by AI”. In its words, “roughly half the exposed jobs may benefit from AI integration, enhancing productivity”, while for the other half AI may take over key tasks. (IMF Blog, January 2024) These are the IMF’s estimates for the whole economy, not a forecast for analysts – and not ours.
What does the CFA® Program teach about data and AI?
At Level I you complete at least one Practical Skills Module of about 10–20 hours, finished by the day before results are released – otherwise the result is voided (check the official website). The choice is Financial Modeling or Python Programming Fundamentals; the module on Python, data science and AI is a Level II option (check the official website). From the 2027 exams, the Level I curriculum also has a new Introduction to Financial Data Science module in Quantitative Methods (check the official website). None of this turns you into a data scientist. It gives you a first look at the tools, while the topic areas – from financial statement analysis and fixed income to portfolio management and ethical and professional standards – remain about valuing investments and making sound decisions with them.
Which claims about AI and finance jobs hold up?
| Claim | What the evidence says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| “AI will replace investment analysts.” | Not in the projections: +7.2% for 2025–35, after the BLS considered AI, with final investment decisions expected to stay with people. Uncertainty is high. | BLS |
| “Routine finance work is most at risk.” | The shrinking occupations in the table are credit analysts (−4.3%) and bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks (−5.6%). For credit analysts a 2025 BLS case study pointed to AI’s ability to synthesise data. | BLS |
| “Finance is the sector most exposed to AI.” | True for the UK in a 2023 government analysis – but exposure measures overlap, not job losses. | Department for Education |
| “Most jobs will be affected.” | An IMF estimate: about 60% of jobs in advanced economies may be impacted, and roughly half of the exposed ones may benefit. A whole-economy figure, not one for finance. | IMF |
| “The charter makes your job safe from AI.” | No dataset we know of shows this. The projections are by occupation, not by qualification, and we know of no public data on job security by qualification. | – |
When is the CFA® Program still worth it, and when not?
Our own decision table – a way to order the question, not a verdict on your career:
| If this describes you | What the evidence suggests | A sensible next step |
|---|---|---|
| You want to research, value or choose investments | The occupation is projected to grow faster than average, with decisions expected to stay with people | Plan Level I – the role and the programme still point the same way |
| Your target job is mostly producing standard reports, scores or reconciliations | The occupations closest to this work are projected to shrink | Aim for roles with judgement and client contact, and build data skills alongside |
| You mainly hope the charter will protect your current job | No data link the charter to job security | Ask your employer what it is automating and which skills it rewards |
| You enjoy data and coding more than markets | Data scientist jobs are projected to grow 34.6% – faster than any finance occupation in the table | Decide first whether you want finance at all; if you do, the Level I Python module is a start |
| You cannot find about 12 free hours a week for the next six months | AI does not change the time cost: at least 300 hours for Level I alone, or 25 weeks at 12 hours a week | Check your week with the study-time budget calculator and pick a later window if it does not fit |
What should you do in the next four weeks?
- Week 1 – read ten job adverts for the role you want. Count how many mention the CFA® Program and how many ask for data skills such as Python or AI tools. That ratio is your market, not a national average.
- Week 2 – look up your occupation in the table above, and its pay in the finance salary explorer. If it is shrinking, note which neighbouring occupation is growing.
- Week 3 – try the work. Work through the time value of money guide and build one small valuation in a spreadsheet. If you enjoy it, the hours ahead will feel different.
- Week 4 – put numbers on it. Price Level I with the Level I cost calculator and plan the weeks with the Level I study planner.
What this means for you
If you want investment work, the public evidence does not say AI has made the CFA® Program pointless: the occupation it prepares for is projected to grow, and the programme has started to teach data skills. Where AI is expected to change things is in the mix of tasks – the BLS points to faster work with data – so plan to use these tools rather than compete with them. The broader question – money, hours and pay – is in is the CFA Program worth it?, and pay data are in what investment analysts earn; to set the costs against a pay rise you expect, use the certification ROI calculator. If risk work appeals more, the two-minute career quiz compares the two routes.
What this page covers
- Last updated
- Based on
- BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2), the BLS note on AI in its projections and its Monthly Labor Review case studies (public domain); the Department for Education’s 2023 analysis of AI and UK jobs (Open Government Licence v3.0); an IMF blog from January 2024; CFA Institute facts from our register, read from secondary sources and linked to CFA Institute
- Includes
- Projected change and openings by occupation, how AI enters the projections, exposure estimates, claims checked, a decision table, a four-week plan
- Not included
- Our own forecast, a pay or job-security premium of the charter, figures by country other than the US and the UK, personal financial or careers advice
Frequently asked questions
Will AI replace financial analysts?
Not according to US government projections: the BLS expects employment of financial and investment analysts to grow 7.2% from 2025 to 2035 after considering AI, and expects final investment decisions to stay with people. It also says the uncertainty about AI’s impacts remains very high.
Is the CFA® Program still worth it with AI?
It is still worth weighing if you want investment work: the occupation it prepares for is projected to grow faster than average. AI does not change its time cost – prep websites suggest at least 300 study hours for Level I alone.
Which finance jobs are projected to shrink?
In the BLS projections for 2025–35, credit analysts (−4.3%) and bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks (−5.6%) shrink. For credit analysts, a 2025 BLS case study pointed to AI’s ability to synthesise large amounts of data; the sources on this page give no such reason for the clerks.
Does the CFA® Program teach Python or AI?
At Level I you choose a Practical Skills Module: Financial Modeling or Python Programming Fundamentals; the module on Python, data science and AI is a Level II option (check the official website). From the 2027 exams, Level I also has a new Introduction to Financial Data Science module in Quantitative Methods (check the official website).
Is finance more exposed to AI than other sectors?
In the UK, a 2023 Department for Education analysis found the finance and insurance sector more exposed to AI than any other. It measured exposure, not whether jobs will be aided or replaced.
Does the charter protect your job from AI?
No dataset shows that. Projections are published by occupation, not by qualification, so they cannot say whether holding the charter makes a job safer.
Related tools and pages
Sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain): Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025 – rows 00-0000, 11-3031, 13-2011, 13-2041, 13-2051, 13-2052, 13-2054, 15-2051 and 43-3031 (employment 2025 and 2035, change, openings, median wage, typical entry education, related work experience, on-the-job training) (27 August 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (public domain): Artificial Intelligence (AI) impacts on employment projections – how the projections take AI into account (27 August 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Monthly Labor Review (public domain): Incorporating AI impacts in BLS employment projections: occupational case studies (Christine Machovec, Michael J. Rieley and Emily Rolen) – business and financial occupations: financial and investment analysts, credit analysts, personal financial advisors (2023–33 projections) (February 2025). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain): Occupational Outlook Handbook: Financial Analysts – pay, median wages by industry (May 2025), job outlook 2025–35, how to become one (27 August 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Department for Education, GOV.UK (Open Government Licence v3.0): The impact of AI on UK jobs and training – summary of findings and Table 2, occupations most exposed to AI (28 November 2023). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- International Monetary Fund, IMF Blog: AI Will Transform the Global Economy. Let’s Make Sure It Benefits Humanity (Kristalina Georgieva), summarising the IMF staff discussion note “Gen-AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work” (14 January 2024). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Soleadea (exam prep provider, secondary source): How Many Study Hours Does the CFA® Exam Really Take? (3 August 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Soleadea (exam prep provider, secondary source): CFA® Exam Practical Skills Modules (PSMs), FAQ on Completion (10 August 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- CFA Institute: CFA Program Level I exam: format and topic weights. Accessed 26 October 2026.
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