Do hedge funds pay well?
The top individual Portfolio Managers can earn hundreds of millions or billions each year. Hedge funds offer a much higher pay ceiling than investment banking, (sometimes) better hours and work/life balance, and the chance to do more interesting work.
Hedge funds use multiple financial strategies and extensive research to help investors. Working for a hedge fund is a great choice for individuals with mathematical and analytical skills, and it can be a lucrative career path.
Hedge funds employ some of the best-paid business professionals anywhere, but landing your first job in the industry is no cakewalk. Building a hedge fund career takes determination, networking stamina, and a fierce competitive streak. Here are some steps to help get you to that interview and then land that job.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay |
---|---|---|
Hedge Fund Attorney | $175,207 | $14,600 |
Cfo Hedge Fund | $157,532 | $13,127 |
Private Equity Fund Controller | $154,999 | $12,916 |
Hedge Fund General Counsel | $151,643 | $12,636 |
Reality: High Stress and Potentially Constant Long Work Hours. Depending on the type of fund, you could work long hours especially when you are just starting. There is a reason why people say at hedge funds your first 6 months is like “drinking from a fire hose.” The role is unlike investment banking or private equity.
Hedge funds are generally more aggressive, riskier, and more exclusive than mutual funds. Their managers have freer rein to invest in a wide variety of assets and to use bolder strategies in pursuit of higher profits, and are rewarded with much higher fees than mutual funds charge.
Who Is the Richest Hedge Fund Manager? Ken Griffin of Citadel is both the richest hedge fund manager and the highest paid. In 2022, he earned $41. billion, and by the beginning of 2023 his net worth was estimated at $35 billion.
A Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in finance is ideal for a variety of hedge fund jobs, but your major will matter. Bachelor of Science degrees in mathematics, accounting, physics, computer science, and even engineering are also useful, given the recent rise in algorithmic trading.
The work hours for hedge fund traders can vary, and the industry is known for its demanding schedule. On average, hedge fund traders often work long hours, ranging from 50 to 80 hours per week. The specific workload can depend on the fund's strategy, market conditions, and individual firm policies.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $242,849 and as low as $32,804, the majority of salaries within the Hedge Fund jobs category currently range between $66,587 (25th percentile) to $117,017 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $165,000 annually in California.
Can you make millions working at a hedge fund?
The money is a big draw as well: if you're at the right fund and you perform well, you can earn into the mid-six-figures, up to $1 million+, even as a junior-level employee. The top individual Portfolio Managers can earn hundreds of millions or billions each year.
In total, Forbes counts 47 hedge fund billionaires who have a combined net worth of $312 billion, up slightly from the same number in 2022 who were worth $310 billion.
The median manager earned $570 million — the fourth best in 22 years — and the seven highest earners all made at least $1 billion. The top earner was Ken Griffin, founder of multistrategy giant Citadel. He personally made $4.1 billion — the most any hedge fund manager has ever earned in the history of the Rich List.
In terms of everyday responsibilities, the main duties of a fund manager include building financial models, meeting with clients, and analysing investments. At a higher level, they oversee the hedge fund's daily operations. This might include risk management, marketing, sales, and cash flow forecasting.
However, because hedge funds are typically much higher-risk portfolios that are more actively traded, they require close monitoring and a greater amount of day-to-day hands-on management and decision-making regarding investments.
BlackRock manages US$38bn across a broad range of hedge fund strategies. With over 20 years of proven experience, the depth and breadth of our platform has evolved into a comprehensive toolkit of 30+ strategies.
It is not uncommon for someone with 5 to 10 years of experience (if they last that long) to secure hedge fund salaries that are close to US$ 1 million per year. If you start your own hedge fund, though, hedge fund salaries get a little more complicated.
The recent Forbes 400 (richest American billionaires) list has about 112 people, by my count, who made their fortunes in some form of Finance, Investments, Hedge Funds, insurance or banking.
3 In exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires a majority of hedge fund investors to be accredited, which means possessing a net worth of more than $1 million and a sophisticated understanding of personal finance, investing, and trading.
Hedge fund managers often have a master's degree or even a Ph. D. in finance, mathematics, economics, financial engineering, quantitative finance, programming, marketing, or business administration. Others have advanced degrees in a specialty such as engineering or accounting.
How many hours do hedge fund managers work?
Hedge fund analysts typically work between 60 and 70 hours a week. Working on the weekend is not common but it certainly does happen from time to time.
Bridgewater Associates
Westport, Conn. Westport, Conn. In 1975, Bridgewater Associates was founded by Ray Dalio in his Manhattan apartment. Today Bridgewater is the largest hedge fund in the world and Dalio has a personal fortune of approximately $19 billion.
The top school for American hedge funds was Harvard University, followed by Penn and Chicago. For U.S. equities, Penn was first, followed by Chicago and Harvard. In U.S. fixed income, Penn was again number one, followed by Chicago and New York University.
School | % of alums<br> across all funds | % of alums at<br> top hedge funds |
---|---|---|
University of Pennsylvania | 8.12% | 0.99% |
Harvard University | 4.29% | 0.44% |
Stanford University | 2.66% | 0.22% |
Cornell University | 2.56% | 0.18% |
Overall, the consensus is that hedge funds will continue to grow but will adapt to lower fees, greater use of technology, and increased access to retail investors.
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