Basics

• Investment analysts usually in offices, though they may travel frequently to visit companies or potential investors. The work week can last longer than 40 hours as analysts must perform research after office hours to remain accessible to clients. Their median salary is $73,670 per year, with a range of $44,080 to $139,350. This translates to hourly rates of $35.42, with a range of $21.19 to $67.00. These figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as of May 2009.
  
  

Experience

• The PayScale Report reveals the importance of experience in terms of an increase in salary for investment analysts. With more years of experience, analysts are able to spot trends more quickly, and also increase their network of investment and research sources. As of December 2010, new analysts earn $41,000 to $70,000 annually. Those with one to four years of work receive $45,221 to $72,967, while those with five to nine years earn $55,955 to $111,038. Finally, those with 10 to 19 years receive $86,000 to $140,000.
  
  

Employers

• The BLS states that the largest employers of investment analysts are investment services other than securities brokers. These include businesses who manage asset portfolios and provide investment advice. They comprise almost 16 percent of the total 235,240 positions, and also offer the highest salaries of any employers at $53.60 per hour or $111,490 annually.
  
  

States

• The BLS shows that the state with the highest employment rates for investment analysts is Delaware, with a concentration of 4.66 analysts per thousand workers. Compensation here is better than the median at $39.17 hourly or $81,480 yearly. The state with the best pay is New York, where a higher cost of living boosts compensation to $51.75 hourly or $107,650 yearly. The concentration of 4.52 analysts per thousand workers is close to that of Delaware.