Financial Quantitative Analysts earn a median of $81,100 per year ($38.99/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 4.1% through 2035, with about 9,400 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 13-2099
- Business and Financial Operations
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Financial Quantitative Analyst in four numbers
- Median pay
- $81,100a year, or $38.99/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $48KTop 10% $151K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +4.1%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+4.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +4.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 9,400137,800 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025137.8K
- Projected 2035143.4K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 137.8K Projected 2035 143.4K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Bachelor's35%
- Master's60%
- Doctorate5%
Highest education held by financial quantitative analysts Segment Value Bachelor's 35% Master's 60% Doctorate 5%
Also advertised as: Investment Portfolio Control Consultant, Investment Strategist, Portfolio Manager, Quantitative Analyst, Quantitative Equity Analyst, Quantitative Research Analyst.
Pay
How much do Financial Quantitative Analysts make?
Every financial quantitative analyst in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$81,100
Middle half earn $61,290 to $110,410
- 10th
- $48,460
- 25th
- $61,290
- 75th
- $110,410
- 90th
- $151,490
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $48,460 |
| 25th | $61,290 |
| Median | $81,100 |
| 75th | $110,410 |
| 90th | $151,490 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $81,100
- Median hourly wage
- $38.99/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $93,810
- People employed
- 132,130
Versus all US occupations
At $81,100, Financial Quantitative Analysts earn 59% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $30,120 a year.
Versus business and financial operations occupations
The median is typical for the Business and Financial Operations group, where the middle occupation pays $80,730.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $151,490 or more while the bottom 10% earn $48,460, a gap of 3.1×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 61% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $125,110, and still leads at $113,839 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Financial Quantitative Analysts the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $125,110 | $113,839 | 2,460 |
| 2Maine | $109,060 | $112,375 | 1,250 |
| 3New York | $107,490 | $99,601 | 9,750 |
| 4Maryland | $101,400 | $96,609 | 3,790 |
| 5Massachusetts | $99,970 | $94,528 | N/A |
| 6New Jersey | $98,630 | $90,648 | 5,510 |
| 7Virginia | $92,930 | $91,915 | 5,070 |
| 8Indiana | $92,410 | $99,015 | 1,930 |
| 9Ohio | $90,060 | $97,075 | 4,170 |
| 10Colorado | $87,430 | $84,841 | 4,030 |
Job outlook
Is Financial Quantitative Analyst a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +4.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Financial Quantitative Analysts | +4.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Financial Quantitative Analysts to change 4.1% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 5,600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 9,400 openings are projected each year, 6.8% of the 137,800 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Financial Quantitative Analyst
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as financial quantitative analysts.
- Master's Degree60%
- Bachelor's Degree35%
- Doctoral Degree5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | 60% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 35% |
| Doctoral Degree | 5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Financial Quantitative Analyst do?
Develop quantitative techniques to inform securities investing, equities investing, pricing, or valuation of financial instruments. Develop mathematical or statistical models for risk management, asset optimization, pricing, or relative value analysis.
Day-to-day tasks
- Apply mathematical or statistical techniques to address practical issues in finance, such as derivative valuation, securities trading, risk management, or financial market regulation.
- Research or develop analytical tools to address issues such as portfolio construction or optimization, performance measurement, attribution, profit and loss measurement, or pricing models.
- Interpret results of financial analysis procedures.
- Define or recommend model specifications or data collection methods.
- Produce written summary reports of financial research results.
- Maintain or modify all financial analytic models in use.
- Devise or apply independent models or tools to help verify results of analytical systems.
- Research new financial products or analytics to determine their usefulness.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Mathematics4.4
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.8
- Active Learning3.8
- Writing3.5
- Learning Strategies3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | 4.4 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.5 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Systems Analysis3.3
- Systems Evaluation3.3
- Persuasion3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Instructing3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.3 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.3 |
| Persuasion | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web platform development software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Financial Quantitative Analyst?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Financial Quantitative Analyst |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 7 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Investigative6.7
- Conventional5.8
- Enterprising3.5
- Artistic1.9
- Realistic1.6
- Social1.6
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Financial Quantitative Analyst
O*NET related occupations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Business and Financial Operations
- Business and Financial Operations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Management
More business and financial operations careers
Median annual pay, with financial quantitative analysts highlighted
- Financial Advisor$105,070
- Accountant$83,680
- Insurance Underwriter$81,370
- Financial Quantitative Analyst$81,100
- Coroner$80,730
- Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator$78,000
- Loan Officer$76,690
- Human Resources Specialist$75,940
- Appraiser and Assessor of Real Estate$67,960
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Financial Advisor | $105,070 |
| Accountant | $83,680 |
| Insurance Underwriter | $81,370 |
| Financial Quantitative Analyst | $81,100 |
| Coroner | $80,730 |
| Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator | $78,000 |
| Loan Officer | $76,690 |
| Human Resources Specialist | $75,940 |
| Appraiser and Assessor of Real Estate | $67,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Specialty careers within financial quantitative analyst
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
Lists Financial Quantitative Analyst appears on
Questions
Financial Quantitative Analyst: frequently asked questions
How much do Financial Quantitative Analysts make?
Financial Quantitative Analysts earn a median of $81,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 59% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $38.99/hr. The middle half earn between $61,290 and $110,410. The top 10% earn $151,490 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Financial Quantitative Analyst?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Financial Quantitative Analysts, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 60.0% hold master's degree.
Is Financial Quantitative Analyst a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 4.1% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 9,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Financial Quantitative Analyst do?
Develop quantitative techniques to inform securities investing, equities investing, pricing, or valuation of financial instruments. A core O*NET task: apply mathematical or statistical techniques to address practical issues in finance, such as derivative valuation, securities trading, risk management, or financial market regulation. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Business intelligence and data analysis software, Data base management system software.
Which states pay Financial Quantitative Analysts the most?
The highest state medians for Financial Quantitative Analysts are District of Columbia ($125,110), Maine ($109,060), New York ($107,490) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Financial Quantitative Analyst?
O*NET scores Financial Quantitative Analysts highest on the Investigative, Conventional and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are INTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.