Financial Services
Scotland’s financial services industry offers a wide range of career opportunities. It’s not just all accountancy or financial advisor jobs – there are also roles in marketing, digital and more.
The impact you could make
- Help people take control of their finances and increase their financial wellbeing.
- Encourage people to direct their investment into green and ethical projects.
- Fight fraud and other types of financial crime.
The opportunities within financial services
With the development of technology such as banking apps, customer service roles and digital skills are in demand. Changes in technology have led to new ways of interacting with customers and analysing the market.
Employment
There are 63,900 people currently working in the financial services industry in Scotland.*
Job availability
Between 2022 to 2025 a further 1,300 people will be needed to fill job openings.*
Job diversity
There are 367 Modern Apprentices in Scotland training in financial services.*
*Sector Skills Assessment 2022
I do really enjoy my job, I like talking to different customers every day, being able to help them with whatever they're needing.
In the past year my confidence has really grown in the job and I've learned a lot. It's a job that you do learn every day.
Lorena
Customer Service Agent Modern Apprentice, HSBC UK
Explore financial services jobs
We’ve pulled out some of the popular finance jobs for you to explore.
Some things you may not know about financial services
In 2020, 96.4% of UK adults had a bank account. In the USA it was 93.1%.*
Scotland is one of Europe’s leading financial centres and the second largest international financial hub in the UK.**
Fintech (Financial Technology) is growing rapidly in Scotland. Since 2018 the number of fintech companies has grown from around 20 to over 140.***
What subjects to take
We’ve pulled together some examples of subjects that could be useful for getting into a career in financial services.
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Accountancy FA
- Graphic Communication
- Design & Manufacture
- Maths
- Financial Services FA
For most jobs, you might not need specific subjects. If your school does not provide all of these subjects or you're just unsure — do not worry. There are many more subjects you can explore by using the Option Choices tool or speaking to your careers adviser in your school.
What routes you can take
There are different options you can choose from after school. We’ve pulled together some of them to help you decide which is best for you.
Financial services industry partners
Discover some of the financial services partners and find out how they’re contributing to the industry.
Scottish Financial Enterprise
Scottish Financial Enterprise is the representative body for Scotland's financial services industry that supports members ranging from small, local companies to global organisations.
Fintech Scotland
Fintech Scotland develops and enables innovations by connecting organisations within the financial sector together.
Investment 20/20
Investment 20/20 is part of the Investment Association and gives guidance, trainee programmes and events to help you kickstart your future in finance.
Future Asset
Future Asset works to encourage females at school in Scotland to look at the world of investment.