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Stock broker vs investment banker

The differences between stock brokers and investment bankers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a stock broker, becoming an investment banker takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an investment banker has an average salary of $162,715, which is higher than the $59,096 average annual salary of a stock broker.

The top three skills for a stock broker include financial products, client portfolios and securities. The most important skills for an investment banker are financial services, discounted cash flow, and capital markets.

Stock broker vs investment banker overview

Stock BrokerInvestment Banker
Yearly salary$59,096$162,715
Hourly rate$28.41$78.23
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs29,20228,460
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age4343
Years of experience64

Stock broker vs investment banker salary

Stock brokers and investment bankers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Stock BrokerInvestment Banker
Average salary$59,096$162,715
Salary rangeBetween $37,000 And $93,000Between $95,000 And $276,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYBoston, MA
Highest paying stateNew YorkAlaska
Best paying companyICAPCiti
Best paying industryFinanceReal Estate

Differences between stock broker and investment banker education

There are a few differences between a stock broker and an investment banker in terms of educational background:

Stock BrokerInvestment Banker
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Stock broker vs investment banker demographics

Here are the differences between stock brokers' and investment bankers' demographics:

Stock BrokerInvestment Banker
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 85.5% Female, 14.5%Male, 76.2% Female, 23.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 12.3% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 12.4% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between stock broker and investment banker duties and responsibilities

Stock broker example responsibilities.

  • Manage communication with clients regarding margin call requirements base on NYSE and NASD standards.
  • Administer the purchase and sale of small cap equities trade on NASDAQ and NYSE exchanges.
  • Study to pass all require FINRA testing!
  • Develop and monitor all stock trading and reporting and institute guidelines for proper FINRA procedures.
  • Calculate common area maintenance expenses and CPI increases and notify tenants via letter of increases.
  • Generate over $200k in derivative commission revenue through full-service brokerage and execution and roughly $100K in self-direct trading commission.
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Investment banker example 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.
  • Manage customer portfolios, service relationships, and used profiling analysis tools to identify cross-selling opportunities.
  • Manage a variety of internal initiatives including merchandising, cross-selling, customer retention programs and promotional campaigns.
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Stock broker vs investment banker skills

Common stock broker skills
  • Financial Products, 11%
  • Client Portfolios, 10%
  • Securities, 8%
  • Bonds, 7%
  • Stock Market, 4%
  • Cold Calls, 4%
Common investment banker skills
  • Financial Services, 6%
  • Discounted Cash Flow, 6%
  • Capital Markets, 6%
  • Financial Statements, 6%
  • Client Relationships, 4%
  • Securities, 4%