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The differences between portfolio managers and analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a portfolio manager, becoming an analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a portfolio manager has an average salary of $114,671, which is higher than the $73,007 average annual salary of an analyst.
The top three skills for a portfolio manager include portfolio management, customer service and risk management. The most important skills for an analyst are customer service, troubleshoot, and data analysis.
| Portfolio Manager | Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $114,671 | $73,007 |
| Hourly rate | $55.13 | $35.10 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 43,192 | 253,138 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
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.
Analysts are employees or individual contributors with a vast experience in a particular field that help the organization address challenges. They help the organization improve processes, policies, and other operations protocol by studying the current processes in place and determining the effectiveness of those processes. They also research industry trends and data to make sound inferences and recommendations on what the company should do to improve their numbers. Analysts recommend business solutions and often help the organization roll out these solutions. They ensure that the proposed action plans are effective and produce the desired results.
Portfolio managers and analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Portfolio Manager | Analyst | |
| Average salary | $114,671 | $73,007 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $198,000 | Between $53,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | Stamford, CT | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a portfolio manager and an analyst in terms of educational background:
| Portfolio Manager | Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between portfolio managers' and analysts' demographics:
| Portfolio Manager | Analyst | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.6% Female, 33.4% | Male, 52.4% Female, 47.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 12% |