Need advice how do I get rich in accounting/finance

Little background I am an accounting student with programming skills in VBA and SQL. I am thinking about becoming a mortgage broker when i graduate shortly. Or should I become an accountant that specializes in technology? I spent alot of time and effort learning how to program(more than I even want to admit or think about). I was thinking it was going to make me rich, but recent information says otherwise(150k max).Please help.

4 Comments
 
Most Helpful

There are many ways to become “rich” in finance depending on how you define the word. But all of them involve reaching some end state where you are a very senior person in a role (SVP, C-Level, Partner, MD). While the “time to get there” varies, it most often is in the neighborhood of 20+ years, assuming you are a high performer, personable, all the cards fall right, and you avoid potential derailments such as burnout, divorce, recession impacts, personal health crises, and bad luck.

Why does your career down the road matter the most? It’s simple math.

Imagine you make an average of $300k a year during your first 20 years of your career, and then by year 21 you are making $2MM a year. If your compensation stays flat and you retire after 40 years what did your compensation look like:

Years 1-20: $6MM ($300k x 20)

Years 2-40: $40MM ($2MM x 20)

This is an oversimplification. But the point of my wordy post is you should focus on building a sustainable career path that you can tolerate (if not enjoy) with strong long term prospects. Assuming all goes well you will get there in the end, but getting rich should be a goal you hold loosely in the near term.

 

Qui reprehenderit vel consequuntur. Dolorem repellendus architecto nam sit rerum. Modi quis suscipit velit iste architecto accusantium voluptatem. Consequuntur error ullam laudantium iure est id fuga. Tempora rerum eius qui a iusto qui id id. Omnis dolores consequuntur quod nisi.

Ut fugit qui deserunt voluptates quae qui similique. Sit omnis sint non laborum. Architecto recusandae unde et esse laudantium. Voluptate nihil qui debitis qui eos. Perferendis impedit et eos doloremque alias laborum. Qui et rerum consequatur expedita ipsum alias a.

Suscipit porro nulla soluta sunt quod. Quia sint sunt vitae. Impedit eveniet dolore cupiditate. Voluptas veritatis aut aut molestiae quis modi alias.

Qui dolorum tenetur sed. Ullam enim et et mollitia. Eveniet voluptas dolorem possimus. Maiores qui commodi dolore.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”