Why Learn Python for Finance?

Python is a popular, general-purpose programming language known for its versatility and ease of use. Python has many uses in finance and FinTech including data analysis, data science, machine learning, and more. Have you ever explored all of the things Python for finance can do?Python for finance can launch or advance your career in finance and finance technology. Here, you’ll learn more about the types of careers that benefit from Python for finance and how it can enhance your professional life. Regardless of your overall goals, learning Python for finance is a valuable and impressive skill to add to your resume. 

What is Python for Finance?

Programmers use Python for web development, data analytics, data science, finance, and more. Python is an object-oriented, interpreted, and high-level programming language that places emphasis on code readability by using significant indentation. Its simplicity, flexibility, and its status as a free, open-source programming language make Python incredibly popular around the world.

Python has been in use for more than 30 years and is a free program available to the public. This means there are many resources available to learn this highly useful programming language. Python is generally considered a beginner-friendly programming language to learn, meaning you do not need to have previous coding experience to start learning Python. However, as with any new skill, learning Python can prove challenging, especially when learning more advanced Python skills such as those involved in data science. Learning Python can bolster resumes in the fields of technology, finance, retail, marketing, and more. 

Read more about what Python is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with Python for Finance?

Python is an open-source programming language that has been in use for over 30 years. This free-to-use programming language enjoys massive popularity thanks to its many uses. Python is used for web development, data science, data analytics, and more. In the finance industry, Python is used by Traders, Analysts, and Researchers, as well as companies like Stripe and Robinhood. Python’s simplicity and flexibility make it a popular programming language in the finance industry because it makes creating formulas and algorithms far easier than comparable programming languages. Python libraries and tools also make it easier to integrate programs with third parties, a common need in FinTech. 

Python’s analytics tools, such as the Pandas library, allow for the creation of data visualizations and interactive dashboards that reference large quantities of data. The Python libraries PyBrain and Scikit allow for machine learning algorithms that enable predictive analytics. You’ll find Python programming at work in cryptocurrency, stock trading, banking apps, and more.

Common Professional Uses for Python for Finance

Python for finance is used by Financial Analysts, Risk Managers, and Portfolio Managers. It is also used in finance technology, also known as FinTech, by those who work with data, such as Data Scientists.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median income for a Financial Analyst is around $95,000 annually. BLS predicts that demand for Financial Analysts will increase by 9% between 2021 and 2031, making this a great time to pursue this promising career. So what does a Financial Analyst do? Financial Analysts guide individuals and businesses regarding money matters for the purpose of attaining profit and achieving long-term financial stability. 

Financial Managers, such as Risk Managers and Portfolio Managers, make an average of $130,000 per year according to BLS. BLS also projects demand for this job will grow by 17% between 2021 and 2031. The exact nature of a Financial Manager’s role depends on their area of focus, but generally Financial Managers create reports, develop plans for meeting long-term financial goals, and direct investment activities.

Launch or Advance Your Career

Learning Python for finance can enhance your resume. Whether you want to launch a new career or you want to advance an existing career in finance or FinTech, understanding the impact of Python on the industry can help you stand out from the competition. That’s because Python is one of the most popular programming languages in finance and finance technology. 

Programmers use Python to build banking apps, enable economic forecasts, gather and analyze large quantities of financial data, and more. This is because Python has so many uses. Learning Python for finance can enable you to manipulate financial data with Python financial libraries, build risk management models, create VAR models, and apply statistical models to financial uses. Python for finance can help you launch a career as a Financial Analyst, Portfolio Manager, or Python Developer in the finance sector, but can also help you advance a career if you already work in such a position. In fact, students in Noble Desktop’s Python for Finance Bootcamp benefit from gaining a background in finance and understanding financial concepts like IRR, NPV, financial statements, and stock fundamentals. This bootcamp covers how to use Python to gather financial information, analyze 10k from the SEC website, understand time value of money, manage risk, calculate VAR, determine fixed income, decide strategies, manage portfolios, and more.

As artificial intelligence, machine learning, mobile banking, and other technological features become increasingly crucial to finance technology, Python programming skills will become increasingly valuable in the finance industry.

Build a Foundation in Python

To learn Python for finance, you must first become familiar with the fundamentals of Python programming. This foundation will serve you well when you go on to learn Python for finance, but knowing Python also provides you with a valuable skill that you can apply to many industries, granting you flexibility should you ever decide to explore other career options. As one of the world’s most popular programming languages and as a general-purpose programming language, Python has many professional uses across the technology sector. Python is used in web development, data science, and data analysis. Programmers use Python to build web-based applications, gather and manage large quantities of data from disparate sources, enable artificial intelligence including machine learning, build software, automate tasks, create interactive dashboards and data visualizations, run reports, and more.

Programmers consider the Python programming language a beginner-friendly language that even those with no prior coding experience can learn. That said, learning any programming language, especially if you are new to coding, can prove challenging for those who go it alone. Instructor-led courses help you learn Python step by step with guidance from an expert. Additionally, live online and in-person classes include hands-on activities. Real-world projects put lessons into practice and enable you to build a professional portfolio. The real-time nature of live online and in-person classes encourages collaboration and personalized feedback that will help you learn faster and solidify your Python programming skills.

Noble Desktop’s Intro to Python Programming course lets students explore the many possibilities of Python programming while building foundational skills. This class covers how to use a text editor and terminal, write Python code able to iterate over data sets, think like a Programmer and understand Python’s syntax, solve real-world problems with Python, write complex programs, and learn how computers execute Python programs. Those who want to master Python and explore Python-specific careers can enroll in Noble Desktop’s Python Developer Certificate program. This course covers the Python programming fundamentals, how to navigate technical documentation to solve errors, Django fundamentals, querying models, task automation, URL dispatchers, and Django REST. 

Build a Foundation in Data Science

As part of learning Python for finance, you will also gain a solid understanding of data science. In an age of rapidly-advancing technology, data science enables the gathering and understanding of crucial insights through the collection of massive amounts of data. Data Scientists and others who work with data science gather large quantities of data, draw conclusions based on this data, run reports, use data visualizations to help stakeholders make sense of the data, and make recommendations based on the information gathered. Data informs organizations about the effectiveness of current and historic efforts and provides projections on future conditions. This can be used to determine business strategy, how to leverage current or upcoming events, tailor budgets, and more. 

Noble Desktop’s Python for Data Science Bootcamp satisfies the required prerequisite for the Python for Finance Bootcamp while providing valuable data science skills. The Data Science Bootcamp covers foundational programming concepts such as loops, functions, and objects, how to handle data types like floats, integers, and strings, use conditional statements, simplify code with object-oriented programming, analyze tabular data with Pandas and NumPy, use Matplotlib for data visualizations, and use Scikit-learn to make predictions with linear regression. 

Noble’s FinTech Bootcamp is another way to prepare for an entry-level position in data science or financial technology. This bootcamp combines the lessons of multiple Noble Desktop classes, including how to use Python for data science, automation, data visualization, and machine learning. You will also learn SQL as part of the course. 

How to Start Learning Python for Finance

Learning Python for finance involves the use of complex, advanced Python programming skills. Therefore, learning in an instructor-led course often proves the best outcomes. Instructor-led courses can meet in person or virtually. Both options provide a set meeting time and instant communication. This allows you to ask questions, receive personalized feedback, collaborate with classmates, and work through hands-on assignments in real-time. Some live online classes also come with additional benefits like one-on-one mentoring, portfolio and resume reviews, job search assistance, and flexible financing options. If you are new to Python programming, you’ll want to start with live online Python classes before advancing to live online FinTech classes. Students looking for in-person learning can search all Python classes with the Classes Near Me tool. 

Another way to learn Python for finance is through on-demand/self-paced courses. These courses work best for those who have difficulty meeting at the times offered by in-person and live online classes. Asynchronous classes permit you to choose the time and pace of your Python for finance training. Most on-demand/self-paced classes consist of pre-recorded video content with some textual content as well. Another advantage of on-demand classes is their affordability. Most online learning subscriptions cost between $30 and $60 per month. You can even find some free classes available. Explore and compare different on-demand Python classes to find which options work best for you. 

Noble Desktop offers free resources on learning Python. The Get Started in Data Science seminar offers a high-level overview of data science and its many professional uses. 

Read the full guide on how to learn Python for finance.

Learn Python for Finance with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers in-person and live online classes that help you master Python for finance. You can start by learning the Python programming basics, then progress to advanced Python uses, or you can explore classes that specialize in teaching the financial uses of Python programming. Noble’s classes offer many benefits including expert instructor guidance given in real-time, small class sizes, and free retake options.

If you do not have previous experience with Python programming, Noble’s Python for Data Science Bootcamp provides the foundational knowledge needed before you learn Python for finance. This bootcamp covers Python programming basics including loops, objects, and functions, handling different types of data, using conditional statements, using object-oriented programming, data visualizations, making predictions, and more. Once you have completed this bootcamp, you can proceed to the Python for Finance Bootcamp in which you will learn how to gather and manipulate financial data using Python’s major financial libraries.

Looking to launch a new career using Python for finance? Noble Desktop’s FinTech Bootcamp prepares students for entry-level positions in financial technology and data science. This certificate program includes multiple courses in which you will learn about Python for data science, automation, data visualization, machine learning, and finance. You will also learn about financial modeling.

Learn more about Noble Desktop’s live online Python classes and live online Finance classes to compare different courses and options.

Key Insights

• Python is an open-source, general-purpose programming language. In finance, Python is used for data science purposes such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. It is also used for data analysis, banking apps, informing stock market strategies, and more.
• Python for finance can help you launch or advance a career as a Financial Analyst or Financial Manager.
• Before learning Python for finance, you must first develop a thorough understanding of Python programming fundamentals. Basic Python programming skills include using a text editor and terminal, writing Python code able to iterate over data sets, understanding how Programmers think, understanding Python’s syntax, solving real-world problems with Python, writing complex programs, and learning how computers execute Python code. 
• You will also need to understand the basics of data science, which plays a crucial role in Python for finance processes including machine learning and artificial intelligence.
• Learning Python programming and data science not only can benefit a career in finance. These skills can also provide the foundation for becoming a Python Developer or Data Scientist. 
• You can receive comprehensive Python for finance training through an in-person or live online course with Noble Desktop.