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What is an investment banker and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

An investment banker is responsible for raising capital for individuals and businesses by issuing debt and trading equity. He/She performs research and reviews financial information and market trends. Similarly, he/she develops and implements financial models to review deals and identify profitability. He/She oversees mergers and acquisitions and supervises private equity settlements. Furthermore, he/she prepares legal and financial documents to complete acquisitions, investments, and purchases. Additionally, he/she helps clients with expanding their corporate and personal enterprises. Also, he/she examines risks and gives financial advice.

The requirements for this job include a bachelor's degree in economics, finance, or a related discipline, a certified financial adviser certification, and three years of experience. Applicants must possess analytical, communication, and time management skills. You must have extensive knowledge about deal structuring, regulations, and closing principles. Investment bankers earn as high as $235,000 per annum. Their annual salary can also be as low as $60,000, with an average of $119,136.

ScoreInvestment BankerUS Average
Salary
9.2

Avg. Salary $162,715

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
-

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.21%

Asian 12.43%

Black or African American 5.54%

Hispanic or Latino 11.53%

Unknown 4.13%

White 66.16%

Gender

female 23.80%

male 76.20%

Age - 43
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43
Complexity level
9.1

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Investment banker career paths

Key steps to become an investment banker

  1. Explore investment banker education requirements

    Most common investment banker degrees

    Bachelor's

    69.1 %

    Master's

    19.4 %

    Associate

    5.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific investment banker skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Financial Services6.25%
    Discounted Cash Flow5.91%
    Capital Markets5.79%
    Financial Statements5.53%
    Client Relationships4.16%
  3. Complete relevant investment banker training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New investment bankers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an investment banker based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real investment banker resumes.
  4. Research investment banker duties and responsibilities

    • Utilize Bloomberg system and company proprietary research to actively monitor portfolios and manage trading activities to achieve customers' goals.
    • Provide service for existing brokerage accounts, manage accounts, annuities, and securities-base lines of credit.
    • Attain NMLS identification number for mortgage origination.
    • Generate reporting data from Salesforce platform to facilitate growth and manage firm operations.
  5. Prepare your investment banker resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your investment banker resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an investment banker resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable investment banker resume templates

    Build a professional investment banker resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your investment banker resume.
    Investment Banker Resume
    Investment Banker Resume
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    Investment Banker Resume
    Investment Banker Resume
    Investment Banker Resume
  6. Apply for investment banker jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an investment banker job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first investment banker job

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Average investment banker salary

The average investment banker salary in the United States is $162,715 per year or $78 per hour. Investment banker salaries range between $95,000 and $276,000 per year.

Average investment banker salary
$162,715 Yearly
$78.23 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do investment bankers rate their job?

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Investment banker reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2023
Cons

Constant stress and fear when dealing with big transactions. Customers always complaining and getting paid by the hour

Pros

Talking to other people and never being still. Always on the move handeling money and everyday is something new


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.