Following on from last week’s look at the qualifications most likely to get you a job in UK financial services now, we’d like to elaborate with a look at the financial services qualifications that should – apparently – enable you to earn the most money.

The figures below are derived from jobs currently advertised on eFinancialCareers in the UK. As ever, they are not infallible: some qualifications may be a necessary but not sufficient condition of employment; some jobs may specify one or other qualifications (especially in accounting). Just because you have a qualification, it does not mean you will automatically earn this amount. In some cases, the sample numbers are small and we haven’t included jobs where a pay range isn’t specified.

Nevertheless, with these caveats, the figures do suggest the relative lucrativeness of each qualification type. The conclusion appears to be that the biggest money now is generally on offer to the quantitatively qualified with higher university degrees.

Pay per qualification

1. PhD: £106k

Mean pay for PhD jobs currently advertised in London:  £106k

Sample size: 81

Range: 2 jobs paying £500k+ (assumed at £750k); 5 at £251k-500k; 8 at £151-250k; 34 at £80-150k; 23 at £40-80k; 10 at 0-£40k.

Takeaway: 17% of PhD jobs currently advertised pay more than £150k

2. MSc: £92k

Mean pay for MSc jobs currently advertised in London:  £92k

Sample size: 48

Range: 1 job paying £500k+ (assumed at £750k); 1 at £251k-500k; 4 at £151-250k; 18 at £80-150k; 15 at £40-80k; 8 at 0-£40k.

Takeaway: 52% of MSc jobs currently advertised pay more than £80k.

3. MBA: £91k

Mean pay for MBA jobs currently advertised in London:  £91k

Sample size: 46

Range: 0 jobs paying £500k+ (assumed at £750k); 1 at £251k-500k; 2 at £151-250k; 20 at £80-150k; 16 at £40-80k; 7 at 0-£40k.

Takeaway: 50% of MBA jobs currently advertised pay less than £80k

4. CFA: £88k

Mean pay for CFA jobs currently advertised in London:  £88k

Sample size: 78

Range: 0 jobs paying £500k+ (assumed at £750k); 1 at £251k-500k; 10 at £151-250k; 15 at £80-150k; 43 at £40-80k; 9 at 0-£40k.

Takeaway: 55% of CFA jobs currently advertised pay between £40k and £80k.

5.  ACA: £65.7k

Mean pay for ACA jobs currently advertised in London:  £65.7k

Sample size: 196

Range: 0 jobs paying £500k+ (assumed at £750k); 0 at £251k-500k; 1 at £151-250k; 39 at £80-150k; 127 at £40-80k; 29 at 0-£40k.

Takeaway: 80% of ACA jobs currently advertised pay less than £80k.

6. CIMA: £58.5k

Mean pay for CIMA jobs currently advertised in London:  £58.5k

Sample size: 76

Range: 0 jobs paying £500k+ (assumed at £750k); 0 at £251k-500k; 0 at £151-250k; 11 at £80-150k; 47 at £40-80k; 18 at 0-£40k.

Takeaway: 24% of CIMA jobs currently advertised pay less than £40k.

7. ACCA: £52.3k

Mean pay for ACCA jobs currently advertised inLondon:  £52.3k

Sample size: 118

Range: 0 jobs paying £500k+ (assumed at £750k); 0 at £251k-500k; 0 at £151-250k; 11 at £80-150k; 69 at £40-80k; 38 at 0-£40k.

Takeaway: 32% of ACCA jobs currently advertised pay less than £40k.