The Fintech Revolution Needs You

Financial technology—fintech—is transforming how billions of people manage money, access credit, make payments, and build wealth. From mobile payments to cryptocurrency, from robo-advisors to buy-now-pay-later, fintech companies are reshaping one of the world’s largest industries.

And they need more women.

Women currently hold only 30% of fintech roles, and the percentage drops sharply in technical positions. Meanwhile, women make or influence 85% of consumer financial decisions. This disconnect between who builds financial products and who uses them creates both a market opportunity and an equity problem.

For women in tech, fintech offers compelling career opportunities: high compensation, meaningful impact, and a chance to shape how money works for everyone.

What Is Fintech?

Fintech spans any technology that improves or automates financial services:

Payments and Transfers

• Mobile payments (Apple Pay, Google Pay)
• Peer-to-peer transfers (Venmo, Zelle)
• International remittances (Wise, Remitly)
• Point-of-sale systems (Square, Stripe)

Lending and Credit

• Digital lending platforms
• Buy-now-pay-later (Klarna, Affirm)
• Credit scoring innovation
• Mortgage technology

Wealth Management

• Robo-advisors (Betterment, Wealthfront)
• Investment apps (Robinhood, Acorns)
• Personal finance tools (Mint, YNAB)
• Retirement planning platforms

Banking

• Neobanks (Chime, N26)
• Banking-as-a-service infrastructure
• Business banking platforms

Insurance (Insurtech)

• Digital insurance platforms
• Claims processing automation
• Risk assessment technology

Cryptocurrency and Web3

• Crypto exchanges
• Blockchain infrastructure
• DeFi (decentralized finance) platforms

Why Women’s Perspectives Matter in Fintech

Financial products built without women’s input often fail women:

Credit Scoring Bias

Traditional credit models disadvantage women who took career breaks, changed names at marriage, or have limited credit history due to being secondary on joint accounts. Women-inclusive teams are more likely to identify and address these biases.

Product Design Gaps

Financial products often assume male financial patterns—steady employment, individual accounts, linear career progression. Women’s financial lives frequently look different, and products should reflect that.

Marketing and Trust

Women control enormous financial resources but report lower trust in financial services. Teams that understand women’s concerns build more trustworthy products.

Financial Inclusion

Globally, women are more likely to be unbanked or underbanked. Fintech has enormous potential to expand financial access—if it’s designed with marginalized users in mind.

Fintech Career Opportunities

The fintech sector offers diverse roles:

Engineering

• Backend Engineering: Building financial systems, APIs, and infrastructure
• Frontend Engineering: Creating user-facing applications and experiences
• Mobile Engineering: Developing iOS and Android financial apps
• Data Engineering: Building pipelines for financial data
• Security Engineering: Critical in a heavily regulated industry

Data and Analytics

• Data Science: Risk modeling, fraud detection, personalization
• Machine Learning: Credit scoring, algorithmic trading, recommendations
• Analytics: Business intelligence, customer insights, performance measurement

Product and Design

• Product Management: Defining and delivering financial products
• UX Design: Making complex financial tasks accessible
• UX Research: Understanding how people interact with money

Specialized Roles

• Compliance Engineering: Building systems that meet regulatory requirements
• Quantitative Development: Implementing trading algorithms and risk models
• Blockchain Development: Smart contracts and crypto infrastructure

Fintech Compensation

Fintech generally pays competitively with or above broader tech:

• Junior Software Engineer: $100,000-$140,000
• Senior Software Engineer: $150,000-$220,000
• Staff Engineer: $220,000-$350,000
• Data Scientist: $130,000-$200,000
• Product Manager: $140,000-$250,000

Compensation varies significantly by company stage, location, and sub-sector. Crypto and trading firms often pay premiums; earlier-stage startups may offer more equity.

Skills for Fintech Careers

Technical Skills

Core engineering skills apply, plus:

• Security: Financial systems require deep security expertise
• Distributed Systems: Processing high transaction volumes reliably
• Data Processing: Handling financial data at scale
• API Design: Many fintech companies provide financial infrastructure

Domain Knowledge

Understanding financial concepts helps:

• Basic accounting and financial statements
• Payment rails (ACH, wire, card networks)
• Regulatory landscape (varies by product type)
• Financial products (loans, investments, insurance)

You don’t need an MBA or CFA—most fintech engineers learn domain knowledge on the job. But interest in finance helps.

Regulatory Awareness

Fintech operates in a heavily regulated environment. Understanding that:

• Compliance requirements shape product possibilities
• Regulations vary by geography and product type
• Engineering decisions have compliance implications

Breaking Into Fintech

From General Tech

If you’re already in tech, transitioning to fintech is straightforward:

• Your engineering skills transfer directly
• Position interest in financial products during interviews
• Highlight relevant experience (payments, security, high-reliability systems)
• Consider companies where your current domain expertise adds value

From Finance

If you’re in traditional finance with technical skills:

• Your domain knowledge is valuable
• Build modern tech stack skills (cloud, APIs, modern languages)
• Fintech companies often hire from traditional finance
• Your understanding of financial products and regulations differentiates you

Starting Fresh

If you’re entering fintech as your first tech role:

• Focus on solid engineering fundamentals
• Consider bootcamps with fintech tracks or placement partnerships
• Build projects demonstrating interest in finance (payment app, budget tracker)
• Target companies with strong training programs for junior engineers

Types of Fintech Companies

Startups

Early-stage fintech companies offer:

• Significant equity upside potential
• Broad responsibility and fast learning
• Higher risk (many startups fail)
• Potentially less structure and training

Scale-Ups

Established fintechs (Stripe, Plaid, Affirm) offer:

• Proven business models
• Strong compensation and benefits
• Scale and impact
• Good balance of structure and growth

Banks and Financial Institutions

Traditional finance companies building fintech capabilities offer:

• Stability and benefits
• Large-scale impact
• Sometimes slower pace and more bureaucracy
• Often strong work-life balance

Fintech Infrastructure

Companies providing tools for other fintechs (Plaid, Marqeta, Unit) offer:

• High technical complexity
• B2B environment
• Impact across the industry

Challenges in Fintech

Bro Culture in Finance

Some fintech companies inherit “bro culture” from traditional finance. Look for:

• Women in leadership positions
• Diverse teams visible on company pages
• Culture signals in interviews

Crypto’s Gender Gap

Cryptocurrency and Web3 have even lower women’s participation than fintech overall. The opportunity is significant, but environment varies widely by company.

High-Pressure Environments

Financial services can involve intense pressure around:

• Transaction reliability (money can’t be lost)
• Regulatory deadlines and audits
• Market-driven timelines

Choose companies with sustainable work expectations.

Finding Fintech Opportunities

Build your fintech network through:

• WomenHack events (many fintech companies actively recruit)
• Fintech-focused communities and events
• Women in fintech organizations and groups
• LinkedIn connections with fintech professionals

Many fintech companies explicitly prioritize diverse hiring, recognizing that diverse teams build better products. Companies seeking women in tech actively participate in events like WomenHack.

Shape the Future of Money

Financial technology is remaking how the world handles money. The decisions being made now—about who gets credit, how wealth is built, who can participate in the financial system—will shape economic opportunity for generations.

Those decisions shouldn’t be made by homogeneous teams. They require diverse perspectives, including women who understand the financial challenges women face.

Your skills can help build a more inclusive financial future. Consider fintech.

Connect with fintech employers at WomenHack events worldwide.