Study Finance & Economics

BCom Finance, Economics, Investment Management or Financial Analysis, 3 years (NQF 7), often plus Honours (NQF 8)

Pay in South AfricaR500–600ka year · typical R550k · limited evidence Work abroad4.0 of 5best: Ireland, United States AI outlookTransformingAI is reinventing the daily work

Getting inMediumcompetition for places · 3-year degree

R53 730 to R85 260 first-year fees 12 bursaries list Finance & Economics

School subjects: Maths required at some universitiesMaths Literacy accepted at some institutions

Entry details and typical minimums

Accounting or Economics at school helps. Most BCom Finance and Economics degrees require Mathematics, but some extended programmes accept Mathematical Literacy: UJ's 4-year extended BCom in Economics and Econometrics and in Finance accept Mathematical Literacy at 70% with an APS of 28. NWU's 4-year extended BCom Economic Sciences streams accept Mathematical Literacy: level 4 for Econometrics (APS 20, Mahikeng) and level 6 for International Trade and Risk Management (APS 24, Vanderbijlpark).

Typical minimums: Varies widely. Mainstream BCom entry often needs NSC Mathematics around 50-60%, while selective Finance and Investment Management streams at UCT, Stellenbosch and Wits ask for more.

Sources: CFA Institute · UK ENIC - comparing international qualifications · UJ Undergraduate Prospectus 2027, extended BCom admission requirements (p. 43) · NWU Fields of Study - Economic and Management Sciences 2027 (admission table: extended BCom Economic Sciences streams)

Pay

Yearly gross pay, turned into rand at the exchange rate. The dot is the typical figure. How pay is measured

USAR1.4–2.4m
GermanyR1.7m
NetherlandsR1.2–2.1m
AustraliaR970k–2.2m
IrelandR1.0–1.7m^~
UKR870k–1.7m
CanadaR930k–1.4m
New ZealandR760k–1.3m
UAER580k–1.1m^~
South AfricaR500–600k^~

~ limited evidence

Working abroad 4.0 of 5

Score out of 5. Tap a country for steps and visas.

AI outlook

TransformingAI is reinventing the daily work

Analysis, reporting and research are highly automatable; client relationships and judgement less so.

Hands-on In-person care Licensed & accountable

How AI changes each field

Careers

Investment analyst / portfolio analyst
Corporate finance analyst
Economist
Risk analyst
Treasury or banking analyst
Financial planner (licensed separately)

No professional framework; CFA charter is the portable credential

There is no mutual recognition system for finance degrees. The CFA charter from the CFA Institute is globally identical and is the usual way South Africans signal equivalence abroad. It is not a licence and does not create a right to work anywhere.

Where to study 8

First-year tuition, as published. My Matric Map can check your results against each of these. Tap a university for its entry requirements and dates. Compare study costs

Country by country: steps, exams, visas and pay sources

Unregulated degrees: no licence is needed to work in finance anywhere. That makes them portable on paper, but the degree itself gives no recognition advantage - the job offer and visa do all the work.

Where it can take you

Finance & Economics → United States

Overall 5/5 · Excellent prospects

No licence to work in finance, but H-1B cap selection makes the US the hardest to enter.

Recognition: 5/5 · Open door. Unregulated there, or the South African qualification is accepted as it is.
Demand: High demand

Sources: USCIS - working in the United States · World Education Services (WES) · Federal Register - H-1B weighted selection final rule (29 Dec 2025) · CFA Institute

Qualification and licensing guide

Pay, in rand at the exchange rate

Typical gross pay in each country, turned into rand at the exchange rate. Compare salaries switches between the exchange rate, buying power and after tax, and says how each works.

United States R1.4–2.4m3.3× SA

Germany R1.7m3.0× SA

Netherlands R1.2–2.1m2.9× SA

Australia R970k–2.2m2.8× SA

Ireland R1.0–1.7m^*2.4× SA

United Kingdom R870k–1.7m2.2× SA

Canada R930k–1.4m^*2.1× SA

New Zealand R760k–1.3m1.8× SA

United Arab Emirates R580k–1.1m^*1.5× SA

South Africa R500–600k^*

South Africa · line: the South African figure · pay range · starting pay · hover or tap a bar for details · gross pay a year, low to high estimate; the bar ends at the typical figure · * weaker figure

Country	Typical gross pay	Range and starting pay	Occupation and source
South Africa	ZAR 550 002 Middle of the advertised range 2026	ZAR 500 004 to 600 000 salary survey range, 2026 · Pnet 2026 Job Market Trends Report salary guide (via BusinessTech) · low confidence · PRIVATE, advertised monthly CTC R41,667-R50,000 x12 for Financial Analyst. National averages of adverts, not an earnings survey. No official starting figure.	Financial Analyst (Pnet Finance sector) Pnet 2026 Job Market Trends Report salary guide, as published by BusinessTech · PRIVATE-SECTOR. Advertised monthly CTC R41,667-R50,000 x12. National averages from advertised vacancies, not a household/earnings survey.
United Kingdom	GBP 50 330 Median 2025	GBP 36 872 to 70 665 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional), Table 14.7a Annual pay - Gross, full-time · SOC 2422 Finance and investment analysts and advisers, full-time, April 2025. Mean 64,198 (skewed). Starting GBP 28 000 Graduate analyst, first job after the degree, 2026 · National Careers Service job profile: investment-analyst ('Starter' salary) · NCS starter 28,000. NCS economist starter also 28,000. Large City banks pay graduates much more.	SOC2020 2422 Finance and investment analysts and advisers ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional), Table 14.7a Annual pay - Gross, full-time · Median gross annual pay, full-time employees, April 2025. CV 3.9%.
Ireland	EUR 65 250 Middle of the advertised range 2026	EUR 50 000 to 85 000 salary survey range, 2026 · Morgan McKinley Ireland Salary Guide 2026 (permanent salaries) · low confidence · Financial Analyst, lowest to highest across bands and cities (same source as typical). MM 0-3 yrs: 50,000-70,000. Starting EUR 29 640 First year after an L8 degree in business/finance, 2023 · CSO Higher Education Outcomes, table HEO12 Graduate Earnings (NFQ Level 8, 2022 graduates, year 1): Business, Administration and Law · low confidence, not shown on the chart · EUR570/wk x52. Median, earned 2023. Broad field of study; includes part-time workers, so understates full-time pay. Economics sits in Social Sciences (EUR535/wk, ~27,800).	Financial Analyst (Core Finance) Morgan McKinley Ireland Salary Guide 2026 (permanent salaries) · Midpoint of each published band (0-3/3-5/5+ yrs) averaged over bands and the 5 listed cities. Range EUR50,000-85,000, averaged over the guide's two Financial Analyst entries.
Netherlands	EUR 77 792 Median 2025	EUR 59 280 to 103 376 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · CBS StatLine 86355NED Werknemers; uurloon en beroep (p25/p75 gross hourly) · BRC 2014 0412 Financieel specialisten en economen, employees, 2025: p25 28.50/h, p75 49.70/h x2080, excl. holiday pay (as typical). Starting EUR 49 109 New wo-master graduate, 1 year after leaving university, 2024 · CBS StatLine 83815NED Uitstromers ho; uurloon na verlaten onderwijs (median, cohort 2022/'23, 1 yr after leaving) · Wo-master 'Economie': median 23.61/h x2080, Oct 2024, employees.	BRC 2014 0412 Financieel specialisten en economen CBS StatLine 86355NED Werknemers; uurloon en beroep · Median gross hourly x2080 (40h x52). Hourly excl. holiday pay, NL full-time ~36-38h; errors largely offset. Covers financial advisers, analysts, risk managers.
Germany	EUR 82 260 Median 2025	Not researched yet	KldB 2010 72144 Finanzanalysten/-analystinnen - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten BA Entgeltatlas (Beschäftigungsstatistik), Stichtag 31.12.2025 · Median monthly gross full-time x12. Employees in social insurance only (no self-employed/Beamte); capped at 8,050 EUR/mo. n=25,326.
United States	USD 102 740 Median 2025	USD 79 290 to 133 340 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · BLS OEWS May 2025 national (via BLS Public Data API) · OEWS May 2025 national annual 25th/75th percentile for SOC 13-2051; p10 $63,720, p90 $180,860; not top-coded. Starting USD 57 600 1 year after a bachelor's in finance (CIP 52.08), 2022 · College Scorecard field-of-study data (Jun 2026 release), EARN_MDN_1YR · Grad-weighted median of program medians, earnings 1 yr after completion (2018-20 grads, CY2020-21, 2022 $; working & not enrolled, incl. part-time). Economics bachelor's (CIP 45.06): $52,801, same source.	13-2051 Financial and Investment Analysts BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 national · OEWS national median annual wage, May 2025.
Canada	CAD 90 002 Median 2024	CAD 72 800 to 112 008 25th to 75th percentile, 2024 · Job Bank wage data 2025 release (LFS 2023-2024), national quartiles · Job Bank Q1/Q3 hourly C$35/C$53.85 x2080, NOC 11101, LFS 2023-24. Low/high (~p10/p90): C$58,677/C$150,509. Starting CAD 64 000 2 years after a bachelor's in business/commerce (CIP 52), 2024 · Statistics Canada Table 37-10-0281 (ELMLP), graduates two years after graduation · Median employment income 2 yrs after graduation (2022 grads, measured 2024, 2024 $); excludes full-time students, includes part-time/part-year workers. Business grads (CIP 52). Social sciences incl. economics: C$52,400.	11101 Financial and investment analysts Job Bank wage data (open data), Labour Force Survey · National median hourly wage C$43.27 x 2080 h. Job Bank/LFS reference period 2023-2024, published 19 Nov 2025.
Australia	AUD 134 264 Median 2025	AUD 84 200 to 193 300 25th to 75th percentile, estimated from tax statistics (includes part-time), 2024 · ATO Taxation Statistics 2023-24, Individuals Table 14A (occupation unit group x taxable income range); medians from Table 15B · low confidence · p25/p75 interpolated from 5 taxable-income bands (linear density matched to band means). Includes part-time/part-year earners and non-wage income; 2023-24 dollars, not uprated. Starting AUD 76 000 About 4 months after completing the bachelor's degree, full-time employed domestic graduates, 2025 · QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025 national report tables: median full-time salary, undergraduates, by 45 study areas ('Banking and finance') · Banking and finance graduates, 2025 survey. Economics graduates 78,000.	Financial Investment Advisers and Managers (ANZSCO 2223) ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025 (customised report), via JSA Occupation Profiles · Median $2582/wk x52; FT non-managerial adult-rate employees, before tax. ANZSCO has no financial-analyst code; closest match. Economists (2243) were $2,862/wk.
New Zealand	NZD 93 000 Median 2026	NZD 73 000 to 122 000 careers service range, 2026 · Tahatu Career Navigator job profile: Finance analyst ('most common' pay range) · Tahatu 'most common' band (full published range 60,000-159,000); Stats NZ IDI/Census + IR data, percentiles not defined, no vintage stated. Starting NZD 64 000 Graduate, year 1 after the bachelor's, 2026 · Tahatu Career Navigator study page 'Bachelors degrees in banking and finance': median employed income 1 year after completion (Stats NZ IDI + IR) · Published in $ thousands; vintage not stated; includes part-year/part-time earners. Year-1 p25-p75 55k-73k; economics bachelor's 62k.	Finance analyst Tahatu Career Navigator (Ministry of Education / Tertiary Education Commission careers service) · Published range $60,000-$159,000, most common $73,000-$122,000. Occupation "Finance analyst". From Stats NZ Census/IDI + Inland Revenue data; no vintage stated (year = year observed).
United Arab Emirates	AED 168 000 Middle of the advertised range 2025	AED 120 000 to 216 000 salary survey range, 2025 · Cooper Fitch UAE Salary Guide 2025 (recruiter employer survey) · low confidence · Same CF row as typical (finance/business analyst, large groups/MNCs) x12, fixed pay incl. allowances. Hays 2025 financial analyst 15k-20k. No starting figure.	Finance / Business Analyst (large local groups/MNCs) Cooper Fitch UAE Salary Guide 2025 (recruiter employer survey) · Recruiter survey. AED 10,000-18,000/month x12. Robert Walters 2026: FP&A/finance analyst average 17,500, senior 23,000.

General information, not immigration or legal advice. Researched 2026-10-07.