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The differences between investment officers and portfolio managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both an investment officer and a portfolio manager. Additionally, an investment officer has an average salary of $126,952, which is higher than the $114,671 average annual salary of a portfolio manager.
The top three skills for an investment officer include portfolio management, asset allocation and risk management. The most important skills for a portfolio manager are portfolio management, customer service, and risk management.
| Investment Officer | Portfolio Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $126,952 | $114,671 |
| Hourly rate | $61.03 | $55.13 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 63,096 | 43,192 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
Investment officers determine possible opportunities for businesses and investments that can promote the interest of a company. They are usually responsible for managing and marketing different financial programs, handling money transactions, and providing partnership with clients. Also, they manage the financial investment and approval process. This position typically requires a master's degree in business administration.
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 officers and portfolio managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Investment Officer | Portfolio Manager | |
| Average salary | $126,952 | $114,671 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $232,000 | Between $66,000 And $198,000 |
| Highest paying City | Albany, NY | Stamford, CT |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Matthews International | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an investment officer and a portfolio manager in terms of educational background:
| Investment Officer | Portfolio Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Finance | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between investment officers' and portfolio managers' demographics:
| Investment Officer | Portfolio Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3% | Male, 66.6% Female, 33.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 10.1% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 11% | 11% |