Do hedge fund jobs pay well?
Hedge Fund Analyst Salary + Bonus: The most likely range here is $200K to $600K total. Yes, this is a very wide range because of the following: Base salary starts around $100K – $150K and increases each year, and your bonus might be 0%, 100%, or even 200% of that. Pay is heavily dependent on fund size and performance.
Position Title | Typical Age Range | Base Salary + Bonus (USD) |
---|---|---|
Junior Analyst or Research Associate | 22-25 | $100K - $150K |
Analyst | 24-30 | $200K - $600K |
Senior Analyst or Sector Head | 28-33 | $500K - $1 million |
Portfolio Manager | 32+ | $500K - $3 million |
If you're a day trader, it will be extremely difficult to win hedge fund jobs because trading a small amount of your own money is very, very different from taking positions worth millions or tens of millions.
A: The hedge fund industry is known for its demanding work environment. Long hours, tight deadlines, and the constant pressure to perform can contribute to high levels of stress.
Rather, interviewees responded that they love the ability to make an impact, to work with experts, and to grapple with difficult questions. The urge to grapple with difficult questions seems to be what attracts people to the industry in the first place. The work done by hedge fund firms is incredibly complex.
On the negative side, the hours are still long and stressful (though better than investment banking hours), job security can be low, and your exit opportunities will be limited.
With a reputation for offering some of the best salaries in the financial sector, a hedge fund career is one that's coveted by many professionals.
There is no specific or average GPA requirement for becoming a hedge fund analyst. However, hedge funds tend to hire top-performing graduates from prestigious universities and top-ranked business schools. These candidates typically have strong academic records, including high GPAs and test scores.
Skills to work for a hedge fund
A career in finance, economics and investing usually requires professionals to be mathematical, logical and personable.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $242,849 and as low as $32,804, the majority of salaries within the Hedge Fund jobs category currently range between $66,587 (25th percentile) to $117,017 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $165,000 annually in California.
Why do hedge fund guys make so much money?
Why Do Hedge Fund Managers Earn So Much? Hedge fund managers' earnings are usually based on management fees and a percentage of the profits they earn, known as a performance fee. The more assets they have under management, and the higher the profits they earn for their fund, the more income they make.
On average, hedge fund traders often work long hours, ranging from 50 to 80 hours per week. The specific workload can depend on the fund's strategy, market conditions, and individual firm policies. During peak periods or when significant market events occur, traders may put in even longer hours.
The day for hedge fund managers is very long and full of stressful hours. The end of the market day doesn't necessarily mean that they are done for the day. Many hedge fund managers run positions in overnight markets so they will need to monitor those trades, often late into the night.
“We don't have a dress code,” the fund notes on its career page. “Folks come to work in anything from a suit to jeans and a t-shirt – the same goes for you. We recommend wearing what you feel is appropriate and comfortable.”
There are many hedge funds that hire undergraduate students for internships and full-time roles after graduation.
- Read the “Business Overview” section of the Company's 10-K.
- Read at least 2 sell-side initiation reports.
- Read or listen to the company's last 2-4 earnings conference calls.
- Read the company's latest investor presentation.
It is not uncommon for someone with 5 to 10 years of experience (if they last that long) to secure hedge fund salaries that are close to US$ 1 million per year. If you start your own hedge fund, though, hedge fund salaries get a little more complicated.
Hedge fund analysts typically work between 60 and 70 hours a week. Working on the weekend is not common but it certainly does happen from time to time.
The hedge fund industry is fiercely competitive, estimated to comprise around 15,000 hedge funds in the market. In 2024, we anticipate a further concentration of hedge fund flows, with a small percentage of managers likely attracting 90% of net assets within the industry.
- #1. Ken Griffin. Net worth: $35 billion. ...
- #2. Jim Simons. Net worth: $28.1 billion. ...
- #3. Ray Dalio. Net worth: $19.1 billion. ...
- #4. David Tepper. Net worth: $18.5 billion. ...
- #5. Steve Cohen. ...
- #6. Carl Icahn. ...
- #7. Michael Platt. ...
- #8. Israel Englander.
What majors do hedge funds hire?
A Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in finance is ideal for a variety of hedge fund jobs, but your major will matter. Bachelor of Science degrees in mathematics, accounting, physics, computer science, and even engineering are also useful, given the recent rise in algorithmic trading.
Getting an internship at a hedge fund can be very competitive and difficult. Hedge funds typically attract top-tier talent from prestigious universities and business schools, and the interview process is often rigorous and highly selective.
The report also ranked schools by investment product focus. The top school for American hedge funds was Harvard University, followed by Penn and Chicago. For U.S. equities, Penn was first, followed by Chicago and Harvard. In U.S. fixed income, Penn was again number one, followed by Chicago and New York University.
According to an eFinancialCareers.com analysis of its curriculum vita database, the following U.S. colleges are the most popular for hedge fund professionals: Columbia University, New York University, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, University of California, Harvard University, University of Chicago, ...
The easiest path to landing a job at any type of hedge fund is to work in banking for the first two years out of undergrad. During those years, make sure you develop a good reputation and try to be a top bucket analyst. You need to be very good at excel and have a strong grasp on valuation / modeling.