Researches stocks, bonds or other assets for a hedge fund and pitches trade ideas, both long and short, to the portfolio manager. eFinancialCareers Compensation & Lifestyle Report 2026 puts typical pay at $227,000 a year (2025). BLS does not publish separate figures for financial and investment analysts; it counts them within financial and investment analyst (SOC 13-2051), whose median pay is $102,740 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 13-2051
- Business and Financial Operations
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Hedge Fund Analyst in four numbers
- Median pay
- $102,740a year, or $49.40/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $64KTop 10% $181K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +7.2%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+7.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +7.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 24,700377,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025377.2K
- Projected 2035404.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 377.2K Projected 2035 404.3K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Hedge Fund Research Analyst, Buy-Side Analyst, Long/Short Equity Analyst, Investment Analyst, Hedge Fund, Credit Analyst, Hedge Fund.
Pay
How much do Financial and Investment Analysts make?
Industry-reported pay
$227,000
Average total compensation (salary plus bonus), junior (analyst and associate level) hedge fund professionals.
Source: eFinancialCareers Compensation & Lifestyle Report 2026, 2025 (published compensation survey). This is not a BLS figure: BLS counts financial and investment analysts within financial and investment analyst, whose pay is shown below. eFinancialCareers: Hedge fund pay (Compensation & Lifestyle Report 2026) · eFinancialCareers: Pay at hedge funds (Compensation & Lifestyle Report, 2024 pay)
Every hedge fund analyst in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$102,740
Middle half earn $79,290 to $133,340
- 10th
- $63,720
- 25th
- $79,290
- 75th
- $133,340
- 90th
- $180,860
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $63,720 |
| 25th | $79,290 |
| Median | $102,740 |
| 75th | $133,340 |
| 90th | $180,860 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $102,740
- Median hourly wage
- $49.40/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $116,800
- People employed
- 361,980
Versus all US occupations
At $102,740, Financial and Investment Analysts earn 102% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $51,760 a year.
Versus business and financial operations occupations
Inside the Business and Financial Operations group, where the middle occupation pays $80,730, this is 27% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $180,860 or more while the bottom 10% earn $63,720, a gap of 2.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 76% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Wyoming pays the most at $187,090, and still leads at $201,843 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Financial and Investment 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Wyoming | $187,090 | $201,843 | 190 |
| 2New York | $127,930 | $118,540 | 52,380 |
| 3Oregon | $120,590 | $116,669 | 2,820 |
| 4Massachusetts | $111,040 | $104,995 | 14,790 |
| 5Connecticut | $109,500 | $105,685 | N/A |
| 6California | $109,110 | $98,546 | 45,380 |
| 7New Jersey | $108,610 | $99,821 | 10,380 |
| 8Washington | $107,210 | $100,184 | 8,820 |
| 9District of Columbia | $105,780 | $96,250 | 3,670 |
| 10Virginia | $105,490 | $104,338 | 10,410 |
Job outlook
Is Hedge Fund Analyst a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +7.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Financial and Investment Analysts | +7.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Financial and Investment Analysts to change 7.2% over 2025–2035, roughly 2.1× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 27,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 24,700 openings are projected each year, 6.5% of the 377,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Hedge Fund Analyst
Most hedge fund analysts start in investment banking, equity research or private equity, then move to the buy side after a few years. A bachelor's degree in finance, economics, accounting or a quantitative field is typical, and some funds hire top undergraduates directly.
Interviews often require a stock pitch with a full model and a written thesis. The CFA charter from CFA Institute is widely held and covers valuation, accounting and portfolio management. The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designation covers hedge fund strategies specifically. Analysts who join a registered broker-dealer may also need FINRA licenses, but many funds are advisers rather than broker-dealers.
- 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)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Hedge Fund Analyst do?
Hedge fund analysts generate investment ideas for funds that can bet on prices rising or falling. An equity analyst might cover a sector such as consumer retail or semiconductors, while a credit analyst studies company debt and distressed situations. Their goal is to find where the market is wrong.
Analysts build detailed financial models, read company filings, listen to earnings calls, and talk with industry experts, customers and suppliers. They write up a thesis with expected returns and risks, pitch it to the portfolio manager, and keep updating the view as news arrives. Good analysts also know when to admit a thesis is broken and recommend exiting a position.
Day-to-day tasks
- Build financial models projecting company earnings and cash flow
- Research industries through filings, expert calls and channel checks
- Pitch long and short investment ideas to portfolio managers
- Monitor news and earnings that affect existing positions
- Attend company management meetings and investor conferences
- Assess downside risks and catalysts for each position
- Recommend position sizing and exit points
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Analysts work in fund offices, mostly in New York, Greenwich, Boston, Chicago and other financial hubs. Hours center on market activity and earnings seasons, with heavy reading before and after the trading day. Travel to company meetings and industry conferences is common. Performance is measured closely, and the culture can be intense.
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base reporting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Object or component oriented 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 Hedge Fund Analyst?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ICE) built on O*NET's Financial and Investment Analyst profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Hedge Fund Analyst |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Conventional5.5
- Investigative5.3
- Enterprising5.1
- Social2.3
- Artistic1.8
- Realistic1.0
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 Hedge Fund Analyst
O*NET related occupations
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More business and financial operations careers
Median annual pay, with financial and investment analysts highlighted
- Financial Advisor$105,070
- Hedge Fund Analyst$102,740
- Accountant$83,680
- Insurance Underwriter$81,370
- 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 |
| Hedge Fund Analyst | $102,740 |
| Accountant | $83,680 |
| Insurance Underwriter | $81,370 |
| 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
Lists Hedge Fund Analyst appears on
Questions
Hedge Fund Analyst: frequently asked questions
How much do Financial and Investment Analysts make?
eFinancialCareers Compensation & Lifestyle Report 2026 reports $227,000 (average total compensation (salary plus bonus), junior (analyst and associate level) hedge fund professionals, 2025). BLS does not publish a separate wage for financial and investment analysts. It counts them within financial and investment analyst, whose median pay is $102,740 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $79,290 and $133,340, and the top 10% earn $180,860 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Hedge Fund Analyst?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Financial and Investment Analysts, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation.
Is Hedge Fund Analyst a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 7.2% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 24,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Hedge Fund Analyst do?
Hedge fund analysts generate investment ideas for funds that can bet on prices rising or falling. A typical task: build financial models projecting company earnings and cash flow. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Analytical or scientific software, Business intelligence and data analysis software.
Which states pay Financial and Investment Analysts the most?
The highest state medians for Financial and Investment Analysts are Wyoming ($187,090), New York ($127,930), Oregon ($120,590) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Hedge Fund Analyst?
O*NET scores Financial and Investment Analysts highest on the Conventional, Investigative and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ENTJ, ESTJ, 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.