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Fast Facts About Financial Analysts
Typical Education
Financial Analysts often have degrees in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or related fields.
However, it’s not uncommon for financial analysts in highly quantitative roles have more technical degrees in fields such as Engineering, Statistics, or even Physics.
How Much do Financial Analysts get Paid?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average “median” pay for a Financial Analyst is $80,310, which is far above the average “median” pay for all occupations of $36,200.
However, Financial Analysts in the 90th percentile earn approximately double that amount, $160,760. This is the place where αAnalysts live, the top 10% of the field.
Typical Job Titles
Typical job titles for Financial Analysts include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Portfolio Manager
- Fund Manager
- Risk Analyst
- Ratings Analyst
- Senior Consultant
- Research Analyst
- Senior Financial Analyst
- Securities Analyst
Typical Certifications
Some of the most common certifications for Financial Analysts include the following:
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
- Chartered Accountant (CA)
- Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA)
- Financial Risk Manager (FRM)
- Professional Risk Manager (PRM)
- FINRA Series 7 and Series 63
Are certifications worth it? According to Robert Half, “the short answer: Yes. Having a “CPA” or “CFA” behind your name can get you a promotion, a salary bump, or even that new job you covet at a Fortune 500 company.”
Typical Employers
- Diversified Financial Services (e.g., J.P. Morgan, UBS, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, RBC, HSBC, Wells Fargo, Citi, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Nomura, BNP Paribas, etc.)
- Big 4 (PwC, Ernst & Young, Deloitte, and KPMG)
- Asset Management Companies (e.g., Blackrock, Vanguard, State Street, Fidelity, Allianz, BNY Mellon, PIMCO, etc.)
- Hedge Funds (e.g., Bridgewater, AQR, Man Group, Millennium Mgmt., Winton Capital Mgmt., Renaissance Technologies, The Baupost Group, Elliott Management, Two Sigma, D.E. Shaw, Och-Ziff, Citadel, etc.)
- Private Equity (e.g., The Carlyle Group, KKR, Blackstone, etc.)
- Insurance Companies (e.g., State Farm, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, GEICO, Travelers, AIG, Nationwide, Progressive, Farmers Insurance Group, USAA, UnitedHealthcare, Wellpoint, Aetna, CIGNA, Humana, etc.)
- Fortune 500 Corporations (e.g., in divisions such as Corporate Finance, Financial Planning & Analysis, Valuation, Investor Relations, etc.).
Typical Workweek and Future Growth
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 1 in 3 Financial Analysts work “more than 40 hours per week,” and “much of their research must be done after office hours because their days are filled with telephone calls and meetings.”
Therefore, if you seek to be a world class Financial Analyst, it’s important that you have the dedication to put in the work necessary to achieve the significant rewards and benefits that come with the job.
“Employment of financial analysts is projected to grow 12 percent” over the next decade, which represents a much faster growth rate than the projected job growth of only 7 percent for all occupations.
The Five Factors That Determine if You Will Succeed as a Financial Analyst
There are many benefits that come with being a world class Financial Analyst (αAnalyst), but not everyone has what it takes.
Download this free report to find out if you have what it takes to succeed as a Financial Analyst.
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Benefits of Being a Financial Analyst
Excellent Pay and Job Growth, Interesting Work, and Attractive Exit Opps
Stable & Growing Profession - Rapid Future Growth Projected
The total number of Financial Analyst jobs available is expected to grow a full 12% over the next decade, which is far higher than the estimated growth rate of only 7% for all other professions.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Do Something Different Every Day
Financial Analysts typically work on a wide range of projects, which can keep things interesting. That being said, Financial Analysts need to be flexible and able to adapt to a dynamic work environment.
Understand a Company's Financial Profile Better Than Anyone
When you’re a world class Financial Analyst (αAnalyst), you will have the ability to leverage publicly disclosed information about a company to develop actionable insights for your firm. You will be able to quickly know how well a company is performing, how its performance compares to peers, and what level of performance you can expect from the company in the future.
Massive Connection Potential
Financial Analysts rub shoulders with a wide variety of people including prominent investors, C-Suite company leadership, and many others. This type of work environment enables you to build new connections in your professional network quickly with some of the highest caliber people in the business world.
Abundant Attractive Exit Opportunities ("Exit Opps")
The broad range of skills needed for success as a Financial Analyst is highly applicable to a wide variety of other professions. The exit opportunities available to Financial Analysts are some of the best in the business world.
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