💡 Why it matters: Pension funds, banks and young investors are looking beyond savings accounts to stocks, bonds and funds. Investment analysts help them choose wisely.
🌍 Around the world
- United States: Jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦3M – ₦7M
- Mid-career
- ₦8M – ₦20M
- Senior
- ₦20M – ₦50M
≈ ₦667k – ₦1.7M a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇺🇸 United States
Financial and investment analysts. Median pay; low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Hourly wage low/median/high x 2,080 hours. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Research companies and their results
- Build models to estimate what shares are worth
- Follow news, prices and the economy
- Recommend what to buy, hold or sell
- Write research notes for clients
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Analysis
- Maths
- Curiosity
- Writing
- Patience
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Join an asset management or stockbroking firm as an assistant
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Trainee roles at fund managers or stockbrokers
- Level 7 Investment Professional-style apprenticeships (offered by some firms)
🇺🇸 United States
- Internships at asset managers or banks
- Start as a research assistant or junior analyst
🇨🇦 Canada
- Co-op placements at banks and asset managers
- Canadian Securities Course while you work
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Do well in Maths and Economics
- 2Take a finance or economics degree
- 3Learn financial modelling and read market news
- 4Join a fund manager or stockbroker
- 5Earn the CFA and manage portfolios
⏰ A day in the life
You read a food company's yearly report, update your model for its future profits and compare it with two rivals. You write a one-page note for fund managers saying whether the share looks cheap or expensive.