A comprehensive ranking of financial services jobs based on total compensation

3 May 2011

2 minute read

A comprehensive ranking of financial services jobs based on total compensation

Money may not be your main motivator, but if it is, this should interest you. If it isn't, you may wish to look anyway out of idle curiosity.

The figures below include salaries and bonuses. They pertain to 2010 and are derived from our recent compensation survey. The past is no necessary guarantee of the future and we can't completely vouch for their accuracy (some of the sample sizes were small), but they should offer at least a vague indication of where the headline figures are the highest.

1) Commodities

Mean total compensation: 248k

Median total compensation: 128k

Sample size: 25

2) Hedge funds

Mean total compensation: 240k

Median total compensation: 190k

Sample size: 35

3) Trading (unspecified product type)

Mean total compensation: 203k

Median total compensation: 130k

Sample size: 43

4) Unspecified roles related to debt/fixed income

Mean total compensation: 183k

Median total compensation: 110k

Sample size: 46

5) Fund management

Mean total compensation: 176k

Median total compensation: 125k

Sample size: 70

6) Investment banking/M&A

Mean total compensation: 165k

Median total compensation: 113k

Sample size: 66

7) Derivatives (unspecified function)

Mean total compensation: 159k

Median total compensation: 129k

Sample size: 46

8) Sales (unspecified product type)

Mean total compensation: 151k

Median total compensation: 75k

Sample size: 41

9) FX

Mean total compensation: 137k

Median total compensation: 101k

Sample size: 20

10) Private equity/venture capital

Mean total compensation: 134k

Median total compensation: 115k

Sample size: 51

11) Risk management

Mean total compensation: 118k

Median total compensation: 97k

Sample size: 71

12) Research

Mean total compensation: 108k

Median total compensation: 92k

Sample size: 50

13) Compliance

Mean total compensation: 102k

Median total compensation: 67k

Sample size: 44

14) Investment marketing/investor relations

Mean total compensation: 85k

Median total compensation: 65k

Sample size: 17

15) Wealth management

Mean total compensation: 84k

Median total compensation: 60k

Sample size: 37

16) Operations

Mean total compensation: 72k

Median total compensation: 55k

Sample size: 79

AUTHORSarah Butcher

Global Editor

Cé
César
5 May 2011
A Concrete Example, on a Financial Risk Management course at UNI Zürich, in the portfolio theory module a CRM from CS dropped out because he was challenged with the mathematics and the extensive financial instruments know how required for portfolio management. On the first day he said he is RM and that probably he knows most of the thematic. After the second week he was pale and quiet because he did not know Statstics exists and that this is a science correlated with mathematics. When we had to do Calculus and linear algebra calculations the guy announced that he quits due to personal matters. He got the lo
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Cé
César
5 May 2011
@GIv, Most PBs in ZH never in their wildest dreams thought of stepping in a university or high education institution. Few have done it and are down to earth. Most just started in the bank through an apprenticeship and have no clue of Finance. Their attitude reflects the farmers background, remeber the Beverlyhibbillys how they behaved when they moved to beverly hills after becomming millionaires. I could write a book about the things I have seen. For the farmers, landing in PB is a social status that makes them superior in their villages. I bet 500GBP If we ask one ZH PB to explain Option pricing, he will be clueless......
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Gi
Giv
5 May 2011
I am working in a small swiss bank for some years now going on doing my prop trading activity but I have to agree that the level of knowledge around me is almost under zero. No idea of what are the most simple derivative products and NO CLUE of what/where/why a market is moving. I am trying to get away from here asap because the mediocre level of the people around me is not appealing at all. Prefer to get some less money but to work in a professional environment rather than getting more money and sharing my days with ex farmers becoming suddenly bankers.
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Tr
Trader
5 May 2011
@ Cesar - You give an accurate description of private banking. I think we worked for the same bank, but at least for the same group. Forget PB, its monkey business.
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Da
Dave
5 May 2011
Hi guys, these figure seem a bit low. I take it these are just year to date?
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