Abstract:     An occupational choice model is constructed to explore the influence of financial development on personal occupation choice, and inferences gained from the theoretical model are further verified against the data of Chinese Household Finance Survey (CHFS) of Southwestern University of Finance and Economics. The results show that the higher the level of financial development, the lower the probability of individuals choosing stable occupation. Such an effect can be attributed to personal risk aversion motivation. This conclusion persisted after a series of endogeneity discussions and robustness tests. Further research shows that the impact of financial development on stable occupation choice is more significant for households with medium assets than for those with small or large assets. This study supplements the research on the relationship between financial development and occupation choice and the motivation of occupation choice, and provides inspiration on how to mobilize individual job-hunting vitality in a practical sense.

Key words: financial development, occupation choice, risk aversion