Cowen salaries

Q: Is the pay good at Cowen?

Yes, the pay is good at Cowen. Compared to the industry average of $76,119 per year, the average annual salary at Cowen is $93,738, which is 23.15% higher.

Q: What is the starting pay at Cowen?

The starting pay at Cowen is $52,000 per year, or $25.00 per hour.

Q: How much does Cowen pay an hour?

Cowen pays $45.07 an hour, on average.

Zippia score 4.9

Cowen salary estimate

$93,738yearly

$45.07 hourly rate

Entry-level salary

$52,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Cowen Salary Overview

At Cowen, the average salary is approximately $93,738 annually, reflecting the company's commitment to competitive compensation. Employees can find lucrative roles in finance, research, and consulting, with top positions offering substantial salaries. For example, finance-related roles tend to have higher compensation packages, making them desirable for career advancement.

Salary by Location

Salary levels can vary significantly based on location. Major metropolitan areas typically offer higher salaries compared to smaller regions. Additionally, Cowen's diverse departmental structure contributes to variations in average salaries, with finance and analytics departments often leading in pay scales. Understanding these salary dynamics helps prospective employees gauge their potential earnings and align their career paths with financial goals.

Highest paying jobs at Cowen

The highest paying jobs at Cowen are managing director, vice president research, sales vice president, and investment banking associate. Managing director jobs at Cowen earn an average yearly salary of $163,411, Cowen vice president research jobs average $141,502, and Cowen sales vice president jobs average $131,397.

The lowest paying Cowen roles include cashier and receptionist. Cowen cashier average salary is $27,837 per year. So while the average Cowen salary is $93,738 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at Cowen

Rank	Job title	Average Cowen salary	Hourly rate
1	Managing Director	$163,411	$78.56
2	Vice President Research	$141,502	$68.03
3	Sales Vice President	$131,397	$63.17
4	Investment Banking Associate	$126,581	$60.86
5	Sales Trader	$126,340	$60.74
6	Equity Trader	$125,357	$60.27
7	Job Developer	$118,186	$56.82
8	Department Manager	$117,121	$56.31
9	Finance Professor	$116,048	$55.79
10	Supervisor	$107,900	$51.88
11	Production Support Specialist	$107,349	$51.61
12	Business Analyst	$107,270	$51.57
13	Research Associate	$107,255	$51.56
14	Investment Banking Analyst	$106,678	$51.29
15	Floor Broker	$106,143	$51.03
16	Consultant	$105,882	$50.90
17	Director Of Events	$105,533	$50.74
18	Senior Support Specialist	$103,887	$49.95
19	Legal Extern	$102,795	$49.42
20	Bond Broker	$100,664	$48.40

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Average Cowen salary by state

Cowen pays the highest salaries in New York due to higher costs of living and competition in the state.

Rank	State	Average Cowen salary	Hourly rate
1	New York	$107,450	$51.66
2	Connecticut	$103,797	$49.90
3	New Jersey	$103,522	$49.77
4	Massachusetts	$103,298	$49.66
5	District of Columbia	$102,988	$49.51
6	California	$102,397	$49.23
7	Minnesota	$92,428	$44.44
8	Illinois	$91,975	$44.22
9	Georgia	$89,661	$43.11
10	Michigan	$88,634	$42.61
11	Texas	$88,565	$42.58
12	Ohio	$85,217	$40.97
13	Florida	$81,970	$39.41
14	Indiana	$80,827	$38.86

How much does Cowen pay by location?

The average Cowen salary varies by location. Cowen salaries are the highest in New York, NY, at $107,724 per year. Cowen pays the second highest average salary in San Francisco, CA, at $105,224 per year. It's important to factor in the cost of living when negotiating a salary or choosing a place to work.

Highest paying Cowen locations

Rank	Location	Average Cowen salary	Hourly rate
1	New York, NY	$107,724	$51.79
2	San Francisco, CA	$105,224	$50.59
3	Hartford, CT	$104,349	$50.17
4	Iselin, NJ	$103,634	$49.82
5	Boston, MA	$103,438	$49.73
6	Alpharetta, GA	$89,680	$43.12
7	Sugar Land, TX	$88,092	$42.35

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Cowen salaries by department

Salaries at Cowen vary depending on the department you work in. Cowen salaries in the corporate management department are the highest with an average salary of $149,623. Employees in the it department at Cowen receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $110,010 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at Cowen include the retail and the administrative organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $44,863 and $46,004, respectively.

Average Cowen salary by department

Rank	Department	Average Cowen salary	Hourly rate
1	Corporate Management	$149,623	$71.93
2	IT	$110,010	$52.89
3	Finance	$108,177	$52.01
4	Engineering	$108,123	$51.98
5	Research & Development	$107,729	$51.79
6	Marketing	$97,895	$47.06
7	Accounting	$92,627	$44.53
8	Sales	$88,109	$42.36
9	Human Resources	$85,499	$41.11
10	Supply Chain	$79,902	$38.41
11	Legal	$78,967	$37.96
12	Plant/Manufacturing	$75,351	$36.23
13	Customer Service	$52,828	$25.40
14	Warehouse	$51,681	$24.85
15	Administrative	$46,005	$22.12
16	Retail	$44,864	$21.57

How much does Cowen pay by department?

Best paying Cowen finance salaries

Rank	Position	Average Cowen salary	Hourly rate
1	Risk Management Director	$133,475	$64.17
2	Investment Banking Associate	$126,581	$60.86
3	Sales Trader	$126,340	$60.74
4	Equity Trader	$125,357	$60.27
5	Portfolio Assistant	$122,743	$59.01
6	Vice President, Fixed Income	$122,692	$58.99
7	Trading Assistant	$114,145	$54.88
8	Investment Banking Analyst	$106,678	$51.29
9	Floor Broker	$106,143	$51.03
10	Consultant	$105,882	$50.90
11	Bond Broker	$100,664	$48.40
12	Finance Analyst	$100,116	$48.13
13	Registered Representative	$99,048	$47.62
14	Finance Internship	$39,526	$19.00

Best paying Cowen administrative salaries

Rank	Position	Average Cowen salary	Hourly rate
1	Office Manager	$47,946	$23.05
2	Legal Secretary	$44,470	$21.38
3	Bond Clerk	$37,534	$18.05
4	Administrative Assistant	$37,489	$18.02
5	Press Operator Assistant	$35,130	$16.89
6	Office Clerk	$31,749	$15.26
7	Receptionist	$30,046	$14.45

Best paying Cowen research & development salaries

Rank	Position	Average Cowen salary	Hourly rate
1	Vice President, Technology	$151,743	$72.95
2	Vice President Research	$141,502	$68.03
3	Research Associate	$107,255	$51.56
4	Statistician	$105,113	$50.54

Cowen competitors’ average salaries

Average salaries at Cowen competitors, like Cantor Fitzgerald, Jefferies, and William Blair, vary. Cantor Fitzgerald employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $110,220. The average salary at Jefferies is $106,326 per year, and the average salary at William Blair is $95,867 per year.

Highest paying Cowen competitors

Rank	Company name	Zippia score	Average salary
1	Cantor Fitzgerald	4.8	$110,220
2	Jefferies	4.8	$106,326
3	William Blair	4.9	$95,867
4	Houlihan Lokey	4.9	$94,062
5	American Capital Partners	4.7	$92,542
6	FBR Capital Markets	4.7	$75,874
7	Piper Jaffray	4.8	$73,442
8	Alex Brown	4.2	$72,638
9	Raymond James Financial	4.7	$71,921
10	DePrince	3.9	$70,841
11	Legacy Capital Management	4.2	$70,352
12	Private Wealth Management	3.9	$69,726
13	The GMS Group	4.0	$69,554
14	R.J. O'Brien	3.5	$69,161
15	Baird	4.7	$69,071
16	Clark Capital	3.8	$68,186
17	HFP Corporation	4.1	$68,170
18	LionTree	4.0	$65,508
19	Rosenblatt Securities	4.2	$62,886
20	Independent Bank	4.2	$46,029

Frequently asked questions about Cowen salaries

Is the pay good at Cowen?

What is the starting pay at Cowen?

How much does Cowen pay an hour?

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Updated December 15, 2025

Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Cowen, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Cowen. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Cowen. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Cowen. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Cowen and its employees or that of Zippia.

Cowen may also be known as or be related to COWEN EXECUTION SERVICES LLC, COWEN INC., Cowen, Cowen Execution Services LLC and Cowen Inc.