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The differences between equity research analysts and analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an equity research analyst and an analyst. Additionally, an equity research analyst has an average salary of $119,540, which is higher than the $73,007 average annual salary of an analyst.
The top three skills for an equity research analyst include financial models, macro and securities. The most important skills for an analyst are customer service, troubleshoot, and data analysis.
| Equity Research Analyst | Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $119,540 | $73,007 |
| Hourly rate | $57.47 | $35.10 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 85,974 | 253,138 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An equity research analyst is responsible for analyzing stock and securities markets, generating reports and performance projections, and advising clients on the best options for clients' financial portfolios. Equity research analysts should have excellent knowledge of the current stock market trends, especially the availability of the securities to identify investments that would sell in public. They evaluate the clients' needs out of their investment interests and risk appetite. An equity research analyst must be highly-communicative and analytical, especially on responding to clients' inquiries and concerns and informing investment managers on the stock and securities available.
Analysts are employees or individual contributors with a vast experience in a particular field that help the organization address challenges. They help the organization improve processes, policies, and other operations protocol by studying the current processes in place and determining the effectiveness of those processes. They also research industry trends and data to make sound inferences and recommendations on what the company should do to improve their numbers. Analysts recommend business solutions and often help the organization roll out these solutions. They ensure that the proposed action plans are effective and produce the desired results.
Equity research analysts and analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Equity Research Analyst | Analyst | |
| Average salary | $119,540 | $73,007 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $182,000 | Between $53,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Simmons Energy | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between an equity research analyst and an analyst in terms of educational background:
| Equity Research Analyst | Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Finance | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between equity research analysts' and analysts' demographics:
| Equity Research Analyst | Analyst | |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2% | Male, 52.4% Female, 47.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 14.1% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 12% |