Investment Manager Salary

Created by Henry Steele

By Henry Steele - January 8, 2018
Reading Time: 7 minutes
Reading Time: 7 minutes

The following article discusses the career path of Investment Manager. Learn about how to become one, education requirements, job duties, traits and qualities, national salary outlook as well as top national employers of Investment Managers.

Job Duties

Investment managers hold responsibility for the money that individuals and institutions have made available for investments, aiming to build their assets. Often, this money comes from the pension plan of the organization, which showcases the tremendous responsibility of an investment manager.

It is very important for these professionals to ensure the value of investments is protected at all times and to find new methods of achieving financial growth. They must also keep their eye on any changes and how these may affect investments, making the proper changes as and where needed. They must also work closely with their clients to make sure their investment goals are met.

They buy and sell securities for their clients. They must report on this and ensure that all transactions are settled properly and according to the relevant rules and regulations. They generally work from an office, but they travel quite extensively to meet with clients in order to build professional relationships.

Other job duties of the investment manager are:

  • To manage the investment portfolio of their clients, putting strategies in place to ensure the financial returns are as high as possible
  • To create investment portfolios that work on the needs of the client, and to always discuss changes and status of the portfolio with the client
  • To stay up to date with new investment strategies and to implement those that are deemed effective

Where We Work

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 580,400 financial managers in 2016. The largest employers of these professionals were:

  • Finance and insurance: 29%
  • Professional, scientific, and technical services: 12%
  • Management of companies and enterprises: 11%
  • Government: 7%
  • Manufacturing: 7%

How to Become

In order for people to become investment managers, they are required to hold at least a bachelor’s degree in a field such as business, economics, accounting, or finance. Most of the time, employers look for those who have a master’s degree, particularly the master in business administration (MBA). An investment manager must have an in-depth understanding of all the relevant concepts of investments, including risk and returns, markets, and investing instruments. They are usually also expected to have certain certifications to be able to complete their work properly.

Education Requirements

Typically, a bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement for an investment manager or advisor, preferably in a field such as law, mathematics, business, accounting, economics, or finance. They should also complete courses in risk management, estate planning, taxes, and investments. It is becoming increasingly common for colleges to offer financial planning courses. Most new investment managers now hold a master’s degree, and particularly the MBA.

Once on the job, these professionals also complete further training. They start by being supervised by senior advisors. Gradually, they will work their way up to more senior positions, taking on more complex cases.

If they want to sell or buy bonds, stocks, or insurance policies, or if they want to provide more specific investment advice, they have to be licensed to do so, with each product requiring its own license. They may also have to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or with their state regulators. Most certifications and licenses are available through the North American Securities Administrators Association.

The Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certification is a particularly popular certification. However, they must have been employed in the field for at least three years before they can become certified. It also requires passing an examination and a commitment to adhere to a code of ethics.

Traits & Qualities

The most effective investment managers have the following traits to some degree or other:

  • Excellent analytical skills
  • Strong interpersonal skills
  • Great mathematical skills
  • Excellent sales skills
  • Strong communication skills, particularly speaking skills

Minimum Education

Bachelor’s Degree

National Salary

The national average salary estimate for Investment Manager was $108,746. This number is estimated from over 146,624 employees, users past and present job advertisements from Indeed.com. This equates to an hourly salary of $56.64 and monthly of $9,062.

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$28,000

$242,000

Salary Distribution

Salary by State

The following section lists Investment Manager salaries in each state around the country. The figures are based on the total number of job postings through Indeed.com. For example, Massachusetts had the largest quoted salary of $131,241 while Minnesota had the smallest quoted salary of $35,769.

ArizonaKentuckyOhio
CaliforniaMassachusettsOregon
ConnecticutMinnesotaPennsylvania
FloridaNorth CarolinaSouth Carolina
GeorgiaNebraskaTexas
IllinoisNew JerseyVirginia
KansasNew YorkWashington
Arizona$70,985Rank: 19th
The average salary ranks 19th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Charles Schwab and Aerotek.

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$35,000

$111,000

Salary Distribution
California$99,529Rank: 6th
The average salary ranks 6th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Finance & Accounting, Michael Page, Accountemps, and AppleOne.

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$33,000

$202,000

Salary Distribution
Connecticut$109,951Rank: 4th
The average salary ranks 4th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Accounting Career Network and Nigel Frank International.

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$30,000

$238,000

Salary Distribution
Florida$89,045Rank: 13th
The average salary ranks 13th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Infinity Staffing Partners, LLC, MFS Investment Management Company, and Robert Half Finance & Accounting.

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$18,000

$212,000

Salary Distribution
Georgia$105,872Rank: 5th
The average salary ranks 5th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Finance & Accounting and MFS Investment Management Company.

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$33,000

$219,000

Salary Distribution
Illinois$95,266Rank: 8th
The average salary ranks 8th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Beacon Hill Staffing, Selby Jennings, and A-Line Staffing.

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$28,000

$201,000

Salary Distribution
Kansas$90,083Rank: 11th
The average salary ranks 11th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Bell & Associates, Inc..

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$45,000

$140,000

Salary Distribution
Kentucky$91,667Rank: 10th
The average salary ranks 10th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Management Resources.

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$46,000

$139,000

Salary Distribution
Massachusetts$131,241Rank: 1st
The average salary ranks 1st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Beacon Hill Staffing, State Street, Accountemps, and Robert Walters US.

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$47,000

$256,000

Salary Distribution
Minnesota$35,769Rank: 21st
The average salary ranks 21st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Randstad and Randstad Professionals.

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$9.35

$28.20

Salary Distribution
North Carolina$89,738Rank: 12th
The average salary ranks 12th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Franchise Career Advisors.

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$45,000

$144,000

Salary Distribution
Nebraska$45,122Rank: 20th
The average salary ranks 20th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Russell Speeder’s Car Wash.

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$22,000

$68,000

Salary Distribution
New Jersey$76,763Rank: 16th
The average salary ranks 16th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like OfficeTeam and Robert Walters.

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$20,000

$171,000

Salary Distribution
New York$130,094Rank: 2nd
The average salary ranks 2nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Compliance Search, Peak Organization, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, and Seedrs.

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$33,000

$292,000

Salary Distribution
Ohio$84,864Rank: 14th
The average salary ranks 14th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Franchise Career Advisors.

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$25,000

$178,000

Salary Distribution
Oregon$78,730Rank: 15th
The average salary ranks 15th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Verus Recruiting Consultants.

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$25,000

$161,000

Salary Distribution
Pennsylvania$92,301Rank: 9th
The average salary ranks 9th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Xplora Search Group.

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$21,000

$214,000

Salary Distribution
South Carolina$121,105Rank: 3rd
The average salary ranks 3rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Accounting Career Network.

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$57,000

$207,000

Salary Distribution
Texas$74,540Rank: 17th
The average salary ranks 17th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Z&A Recruiting, Unity Search, and Unity Search LLC.

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$23,000

$155,000

Salary Distribution
Virginia$73,043Rank: 18th
The average salary ranks 18th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Finance & Accounting and Financial Designs.

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$22,000

$152,000

Salary Distribution
Washington$98,732Rank: 7th
The average salary ranks 7th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Northlake Capital + Development.

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$27,000

$213,000

Salary Distribution

Top 20 National Employers

According to Indeed.com, the following states had employers looking to hire a Investment Manager. The quoted salary figure represents the average salary from all job postings by this employer.

Employer NameLocationAverage Salary

Learn More

Related Careers

Career NameAverage Salary

Henry Steele
Managing Editor
Henry is Managing Editor of BusinessStudent.com. He is a seasoned business professional who regularly consults with local business's throughout Southern California. Henry pursued his undergrad in Business and Economics at the University of San Diego and gained valuable life changing experience through a unique internship upon graduation.

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