Key facts
- US financial and investment analysts: median annual wage US$102,740 in May 2025; 10th percentile US$63,720, 90th percentile US$180,860 (BLS).
- US financial risk specialists: median annual wage US$117,330 in May 2025 (BLS).
- UK full-time finance and investment analysts and advisers: median annual gross pay £53,940 for the tax year to April 2026, provisional (ONS ASHE).
- BLS wage figures do not include year-end bonuses.
- Occupation data, not the effect of a qualification: neither survey records whether employees are CFA® charterholders.
In May 2025, financial and investment analysts in the US earned a median of US$102,740 a year. In the UK, full-time finance and investment analysts and advisers earned a median of £53,940 in the year to April 2026. Both are occupation figures from government surveys, not the effect of the CFA® Program or any other qualification. (BLS, OEWS May 2025) (ONS, ASHE 2026 provisional, Table 14)
If you are weighing the CFA® Program or a first analyst job, pay is a fair question to ask, and the honest answer is a range rather than one number. This page shows that range from two sources that publish their methods: the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS).
How much do financial and investment analysts earn in the US?
The BLS survey of employers puts the middle half of analysts between US$79,290 and US$133,340 a year; one in ten earns less than US$63,720 and one in ten more than US$180,860. Financial risk specialists, a separate occupation, are shown for comparison. (BLS, OEWS May 2025)
| Measure | Financial and investment analysts (13-2051) | Financial risk specialists (13-2054) |
|---|---|---|
| Employment | 361,980 | 63,850 |
| 10th percentile | US$63,720 | US$64,820 |
| 25th percentile | US$79,290 | US$83,980 |
| Median | US$102,740 | US$117,330 |
| Mean | US$116,800 | US$124,420 |
| 75th percentile | US$133,340 | US$158,250 |
| 90th percentile | US$180,860 | US$196,110 |
Read the table with what the survey counts. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay: commissions and production bonuses are included, but year-end and other non-production bonuses are excluded, and annual figures assume a full-time year of 2,080 hours. (BLS, OEWS questions and answers) In roles with large year-end bonuses, total pay can therefore be higher than these figures. BLS data are in the public domain.
Which US industries pay analysts most?
| Industry | Median |
|---|---|
| Securities, commodity contracts and other financial investments | US$124,370 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | US$101,760 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | US$101,540 |
| Credit intermediation and related activities (for example banks) | US$100,120 |
| Insurance carriers and related activities | US$95,830 |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which also says most financial analysts work full time and some more than 40 hours a week. (BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook)
How much do finance and investment analysts earn in the UK?
The closest UK occupation is “finance and investment analysts and advisers” (SOC 2020 code 2422), so it also includes financial advisers. The figures are annual gross pay of full-time employees who have been in the same job for more than a year, for the tax year ending 5 April 2026. They are provisional; ONS revises them a year later. (ONS, ASHE 2026 provisional, Table 14)
| Measure | Finance and investment analysts and advisers (2422) | All full-time employee jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Jobs (indicative) | 183,000 | 18,184,000 |
| 10th percentile | £29,743 | £25,288 |
| 25th percentile | £39,666 | £30,600 |
| Median | £53,940 | £40,911 |
| Mean | £71,475 | £52,109 |
| 75th percentile | £75,790 | £56,842 |
| 90th percentile | not published (unreliable) | £82,680 |
ONS does not publish the 90th percentile for this occupation because the estimate is too uncertain, and it warns that job counts are only indicative. Incentive pay such as bonuses appears in a separate table of the same survey. Source: Office for National Statistics, under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
How reliable are these figures?
Both surveys publish their methods. ASHE is based on a 1% sample of jobs from HM Revenue and Customs’ PAYE records, weighted to UK population totals, and does not cover the self-employed. ONS grades each estimate by its coefficient of variation: for finance and investment analysts and advisers the median has a coefficient of 3.8%, which ONS counts as precise, while the 90th percentile is withheld because its coefficient is above 20%. (ONS, ASHE 2026 provisional, Table 14) The BLS figures are national estimates for May 2025 from a survey of employers; they cover wage and salary workers, so self-employed analysts and advisers are not in them. (BLS, OEWS overview)
Why is there no figure for CFA® charterholders?
Occupation data, not the effect of a qualification. Neither BLS nor ONS records which qualifications employees hold, so neither can say what the CFA Program adds to pay. A comparison of holders with non-holders would mix in experience, employer, city and role, which is why we do not publish a “premium”. If you see one elsewhere, ask who was surveyed and whether people with similar experience were compared.
How does pay change along the career path?
The BLS says that, with experience, financial analysts may move on to become portfolio or fund managers, and that a master’s degree in finance or business administration may improve the chances of doing so. (BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook) The table sets the occupations side by side; they are neighbouring groups, not steps of one ladder, and “financial managers” is a broad group well beyond investment work. (BLS, OEWS May 2025)
| Occupation (SOC) | Employment | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Financial and investment analysts (13-2051) | 361,980 | US$102,740 |
| Personal financial advisors (13-2052) | 266,800 | US$105,070 |
| Financial risk specialists (13-2054) | 63,850 | US$117,330 |
| Financial managers (11-3031) | 841,710 | US$166,570 |
In the UK, full-time financial managers and directors (SOC 1131) earned a median of £80,000 in the same ONS table. (ONS, ASHE 2026 provisional, Table 14)
What does this mean for you?
- Compare an offer with the percentiles, not the mean. A few very high earners pull the mean up; the median is the middle job.
- Keep the two countries apart. Converting US dollars into pounds ignores tax, cost of living and what each survey counts as pay.
- Ask about the bonus. The US figures leave out year-end bonuses, so the base salary in an offer is the comparable part.
- Check the payback before you pay. Weigh what a qualification costs against a realistic change in pay with the worked payback example in CFA Program vs MBA or with your own figures in the certification ROI calculator, and see the full path, cost and timeline to the charter.
What are the common mistakes with salary data?
- Reading the median of an occupation as the pay of a new graduate: the survey covers every stage of a career.
- Taking a figure from a qualification body’s or a recruiter’s survey as typical without knowing who answered it.
- Comparing a London offer with a national figure: neither table on this page is broken down by city.
- Treating “risk” and “investment” pay as a reason on its own to choose a qualification; the work itself matters more over a career.
Unsure which route fits the work you want? The CFA Program or FRM® Exam comparison and the two-minute career quiz help you decide.
Frequently asked questions
What do CFA® charterholders earn?
No government survey reports pay by qualification. The closest figures are for the occupation: US financial and investment analysts earned a median of US$102,740 in May 2025, and UK full-time finance and investment analysts and advisers a median of £53,940 for the tax year to April 2026 (provisional).
How much does a financial analyst earn in the US?
In May 2025 the median annual wage of financial and investment analysts was US$102,740; the middle half earned between US$79,290 and US$133,340 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics).
How much does a financial analyst earn in the UK?
Full-time finance and investment analysts and advisers earned a median of £53,940 in the tax year to 5 April 2026, with the middle half between £39,666 and £75,790 (ONS ASHE 2026, provisional). The occupation also includes financial advisers.
Do these salary figures include bonuses?
The US figures include commissions and production bonuses but not year-end or other non-production bonuses. The UK figures are annual gross pay; ONS publishes incentive pay in a separate table of the same survey.
Do risk specialists earn more than investment analysts?
In the US data, yes at the median: US$117,330 for financial risk specialists against US$102,740 for financial and investment analysts in May 2025. Both are occupation figures and say nothing about the effect of a qualification.
Related tools and pages
Sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain): Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 – national estimates for 13-2051 Financial and Investment Analysts, 13-2052 Personal Financial Advisors, 13-2054 Financial Risk Specialists, 11-3031 Financial Managers, 13-2011 Accountants and Auditors, 13-2041 Credit Analysts and 00-0000 All Occupations, and metropolitan area estimates for CBSA 35620 (New York) and CBSA 14460 (Boston) (employment, mean and percentiles of annual wages, read through the BLS Public Data API) (15 May 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain): OEWS frequently asked questions – what the wage estimates include and exclude, and the 2,080-hour year. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain): Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: overview – coverage of the survey (wage and salary workers; not the self-employed) (15 May 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain): Occupational Outlook Handbook: Financial Analysts – pay, median wages by industry (May 2025), job outlook 2025–35, how to become one (27 August 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Office for National Statistics (Open Government Licence v3.0): Earnings and hours worked, occupation by four-digit SOC: ASHE Table 14 – 2026 provisional, Tables 14.7a (annual pay, gross), 14.7b (coefficients of variation) and 14.9a (paid hours worked, total), full-time employee jobs, United Kingdom (22 October 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
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