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The differences between investment advisors and equity 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 investment advisor and an equity analyst. Additionally, an investment advisor has an average salary of $105,377, which is higher than the $103,715 average annual salary of an equity analyst.
The top three skills for an investment advisor include exceptional client, risk management and client relationships. The most important skills for an equity analyst are financial models, equities, and discounted cash flow.
| Investment Advisor | Equity Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $105,377 | $103,715 |
| Hourly rate | $50.66 | $49.86 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 63,438 | 51,437 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 45 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An investment advisor is responsible for managing the clients' financial portfolios, advising them of investment options according to their financial goals and objectives, and their ability to handle risks. Investment advisors should have excellent knowledge of the investment policies, providing the clients with the best financial strategies according to their interests. They also determine their expenses, income, and credit scores to identify a comprehensive financial plan. An investment advisor helps the clients with cash management techniques, as well as conducting data analysis on financial market projections.
An equity analyst's role is to help clients navigate through stocks and bonds using their expertise. In a company setting, their responsibilities revolve around performing extensive research and analysis on areas such as the stock market, coordinating with different departments to gather necessary data, identifying new opportunities, preparing and analyzing the company's financial records, and creating forecast models. Furthermore, as an equity analyst, it is essential to make recommendations in adherence to the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.
Investment advisors and equity analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Investment Advisor | Equity Analyst | |
| Average salary | $105,377 | $103,715 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $184,000 | Between $68,000 And $157,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Finance |
There are a few differences between an investment advisor and an equity analyst in terms of educational background:
| Investment Advisor | Equity Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Business | Finance |
| Most common college | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between investment advisors' and equity analysts' demographics:
| Investment Advisor | Equity Analyst | |
| Average age | 45 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.3% Female, 27.7% | Male, 77.0% Female, 23.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.2% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 7% |