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The differences between investment advisors and finance 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 a finance analyst. Additionally, an investment advisor has an average salary of $105,377, which is higher than the $69,887 average annual salary of a finance analyst.
The top three skills for an investment advisor include exceptional client, risk management and client relationships. The most important skills for a finance analyst are financial analysis, financial models, and financial data.
| Investment Advisor | Finance Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $105,377 | $69,887 |
| Hourly rate | $50.66 | $33.60 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 63,438 | 138,600 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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.
A finance analyst is responsible for evaluating a company's financial data and historical reports to assess investment opportunities and provide accurate financial statements in support of business strategies and company performance prediction. A financial analyst's duties also include suggesting recommendations to boost operations efficiency and grow revenues, researching the current market performance and economic trends to adjust budget goals as needed, and managing client portfolios. Finance analysts must have excellent critical and analytical thinking skills to identify the best actions for the company's profitability.
Investment advisors and finance analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Investment Advisor | Finance Analyst | |
| Average salary | $105,377 | $69,887 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $184,000 | Between $46,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Finance |
There are a few differences between an investment advisor and a finance analyst in terms of educational background:
| Investment Advisor | Finance Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between investment advisors' and finance analysts' demographics:
| Investment Advisor | Finance Analyst | |
| Average age | 45 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.3% Female, 27.7% | Male, 56.2% Female, 43.8% |
| 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% |