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The differences between investment analysts and portfolio managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an investment analyst, becoming a portfolio manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a portfolio manager has an average salary of $114,671, which is higher than the $79,056 average annual salary of an investment analyst.
The top three skills for an investment analyst include portfolio management, financial statements and strong analytical. The most important skills for a portfolio manager are portfolio management, customer service, and risk management.
| Investment Analyst | Portfolio Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $79,056 | $114,671 |
| Hourly rate | $38.01 | $55.13 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 63,003 | 43,192 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 40 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 8 |
An Investment Analyst provides research and information to help traders, fund managers and stock brokers make decisions about investments. They are hired by companies, investment trusts, stock trading and brokerage firms, and insurance providers.
A portfolio manager is responsible for managing the clients' investment portfolios to advise them of the best investment plans to achieve their financial goals and objectives. Portfolio managers determine the most suitable options by evaluating the clients' credit score and risk potential and the client's financial background. A portfolio manager should be highly knowledgeable and updated with the recent financial industry changes to decide on investment plans with maximum returns.
Investment analysts and portfolio managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Investment Analyst | Portfolio Manager | |
| Average salary | $79,056 | $114,671 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $140,000 | Between $66,000 And $198,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Stamford, CT |
| Highest paying state | New York | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Finance |
There are a few differences between an investment analyst and a portfolio manager in terms of educational background:
| Investment Analyst | Portfolio Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Finance | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between investment analysts' and portfolio managers' demographics:
| Investment Analyst | Portfolio Manager | |
| Average age | 40 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% | Male, 66.6% Female, 33.4% |
| 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, 7.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 10.1% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 11% |