Financial Quantitative Analysts
Develop quantitative techniques to inform securities investing, equities investing, pricing, or valuation of financial instruments. Develop mathematical or statistical models for risk management, asset optimization, pricing, or relative value analysis.
- O*NET-SOC code
13-2099.01 - Preparation Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Wages
BLS doesn't publish wages for Financial Quantitative Analysts separately. These are the figures for Financial Specialists, All Other (13-2099), its parent occupation.
Median annual wage, U.S.$81,100
Employment, U.S.132,130
Median hourly wage$38.99
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $48,460 | $61,290 | $81,100 | $110,410 | $151,490 |
By state (50)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 530 | $87,110 | 0.30 |
| Alaska | 130 | $77,070 | 0.47 |
| Arizona | 910 | $81,180 | 0.33 |
| Arkansas | 370 | $60,600 | 0.34 |
| California | 14,290 | $80,810 | 0.92 |
| Colorado | 4,030 | $87,430 | 1.65 |
| Delaware | 1,330 | $80,610 | 3.24 |
| District of Columbia | 2,460 | $125,110 | 4.12 |
| Florida | 6,960 | $61,660 | 0.82 |
| Georgia | 4,070 | $77,540 | 0.98 |
| Hawaii | 840 | $77,190 | 1.58 |
| Idaho | 210 | $79,440 | 0.29 |
| Illinois | 5,850 | $81,180 | 1.13 |
| Indiana | 1,930 | $92,410 | 0.71 |
| Iowa | 1,220 | $79,390 | 0.92 |
| Kansas | 1,140 | $51,160 | 0.93 |
| Kentucky | 690 | $65,690 | 0.41 |
| Louisiana | 2,990 | $59,860 | 1.82 |
| Maine | 1,250 | $109,060 | 2.29 |
| Maryland | 3,790 | $101,400 | 1.62 |
| Massachusetts | $99,970 | ||
| Michigan | 2,620 | $75,040 | 0.70 |
| Minnesota | 820 | $83,280 | 0.33 |
| Mississippi | 400 | $73,920 | 0.41 |
| Missouri | 2,710 | $75,800 | 1.08 |
| Montana | 270 | $76,350 | 0.61 |
| Nebraska | 480 | $66,290 | 0.56 |
| Nevada | 1,220 | $61,930 | 0.92 |
| New Hampshire | 420 | $83,590 | 0.73 |
| New Jersey | 5,510 | $98,630 | 1.51 |
| New Mexico | 720 | $80,610 | 0.98 |
| New York | 9,750 | $107,490 | 1.18 |
| North Carolina | 4,190 | $80,900 | 1.00 |
| North Dakota | 150 | $78,260 | 0.40 |
| Ohio | 4,170 | $90,060 | 0.89 |
| Oklahoma | 920 | $76,980 | 0.63 |
| Oregon | 900 | $83,080 | 0.54 |
| Pennsylvania | 4,030 | $78,610 | 0.78 |
| Rhode Island | 510 | $78,990 | 1.20 |
| South Carolina | 930 | $76,400 | 0.48 |
| South Dakota | 90 | $86,260 | 0.22 |
| Tennessee | 2,420 | $69,240 | 0.87 |
| Texas | 13,550 | $71,650 | 1.13 |
| Utah | 3,120 | $76,530 | 2.12 |
| Vermont | 230 | $75,270 | 0.88 |
| Virginia | 5,070 | $92,930 | 1.45 |
| Washington | 2,910 | $80,930 | 0.96 |
| West Virginia | 920 | $86,200 | 1.55 |
| Wisconsin | 1,620 | $64,420 | 0.65 |
| Wyoming | 100 | $75,810 | 0.43 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Actuaries | 4 | 0.981 |
| 2 | Economists | 5 | 0.965 |
| 3 | Environmental Economists | 5 | 0.965 |
| 4 | Business Intelligence Analysts | 4 | 0.956 |
| 5 | Statisticians | 5 | 0.956 |
| 6 | Budget Analysts | 4 | 0.951 |
| 7 | Credit Analysts | 4 | 0.950 |
| 8 | Operations Research Analysts | 5 | 0.950 |
| 9 | Cost Estimators | 4 | 0.947 |
| 10 | Data Scientists | 4 | 0.946 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Financial Quantitative Analysts, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statisticians | Science | 2.50 | 0.956 |
| Budget Analysts | Management of Financial Resources | 0.88 | 0.951 |
| Data Warehousing Specialists | Programming | 1.13 | 0.939 |
| Statistical Assistants | Programming | 0.88 | 0.933 |
| Personal Financial Advisors | Service Orientation | 1.00 | 0.927 |
| Software Developers | Technology Design | 2.24 | 0.914 |
| Logistics Analysts | Monitoring | 0.88 | 0.909 |
| Social Science Research Assistants | Science | 2.00 | 0.909 |
| Bioinformatics Technicians | Science | 2.00 | 0.906 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Financial Quantitative Analysts, excluding software Financial Quantitative Analysts already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Wolfram Research Mathematica | 8 of 20 | 12.3x |
| Oracle Hyperion | 9 of 20 | 8.1x |
| Oracle E-Business Suite Financials | 7 of 20 | 7.2x |
| Minitab | 8 of 20 | 5.3x |
| Qlik Tech QlikView | 7 of 20 | 6.6x |
| Aptech Systems GAUSS | 4 of 20 | 26.4x |
| MySQL | 7 of 20 | 6.5x |
| Teradata Database | 7 of 20 | 6.1x |
| Corel QuattroPro | 4 of 20 | 23.1x |
| Bash | 6 of 20 | 7.9x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 4.38 | 5.00 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 4.12 | 4.75 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.75 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.75 | 4.25 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.50 | 4.00 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.88 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.75 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.25 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.88 | 1.38 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.38 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.38 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 4.63 | 6.05 |
| Economics and Accounting | 4.20 | 5.30 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.70 | 5.30 |
| English Language | 3.05 | 3.75 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.70 | 3.15 |
| Administration and Management | 2.10 | 2.75 |
| Design | 2.10 | 2.45 |
| Psychology | 2.05 | 2.20 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 2.05 | 2.05 |
| Education and Training | 2.05 | 1.95 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Communications and Media | 2.00 | 1.95 |
| Law and Government | 1.90 | 1.60 |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.85 | 2.15 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.70 | 1.35 |
| Production and Processing | 1.70 | 1.25 |
| Administrative | 1.50 | 1.50 |
| Telecommunications | 1.37 | not rated |
| Geography | 1.35 | 1.05 |
| Physics | 1.30 | 0.90 |
| History and Archeology | 1.25 | not rated |
| Transportation | 1.16 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.10 | not rated |
| Foreign Language | 1.10 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.05 | not rated |
| Chemistry | 1.05 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.05 | not rated |
| Mechanical | 1.05 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.05 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.05 | not rated |
| Public Safety and Security | 1.05 | not rated |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.05 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.00 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematical Reasoning | 4.38 | 5.00 |
| Written Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.88 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.88 | 5.00 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.88 | 4.75 |
| Number Facility | 3.88 | 4.75 |
| Written Expression | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.75 | 4.50 |
| Oral Expression | 3.75 | 4.12 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Information Ordering | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.62 | 3.88 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.50 | 3.75 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Near Vision | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.25 | 3.88 |
| Originality | 3.12 | 3.62 |
| Selective Attention | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Memorization | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Far Vision | 2.25 | 2.38 |
| Time Sharing | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Visualization | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.00 | 1.50 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.00 | 1.25 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.88 | 1.00 |
| Depth Perception | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Control Precision | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Finger Dexterity | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Manual Dexterity | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.25 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Explosive Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.00 | not rated |
| Multilimb Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Rate Control | 1.00 | not rated |
| Reaction Time | 1.00 | not rated |
| Response Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
| Stamina | 1.00 | not rated |
| Static Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- C++ in demand
- Microsoft Excel in demand
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Microsoft PowerPoint in demand
- Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications VBA in demand
- Python in demand
- R in demand
- SAS in demand
- Structured query language SQL in demand
- Tableau in demand
- The MathWorks MATLAB in demand
- Amazon Web Services AWS software hot
- Apache Hive hot
- C# hot
- IBM SPSS Statistics hot
- JavaScript hot
- Linux hot
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft Azure software hot
- Microsoft Power BI hot
- Microsoft SQL Server hot
- Microsoft Visio hot
- Microsoft Visual Basic hot
- Microsoft Visual Studio hot
- Oracle Java hot
- Perl hot
- UNIX hot
- Bloomberg Professional
- IBM Cognos Business Intelligence
- Insightful S-PLUS
All 36
- MicroStrategy
- MicroStrategy Desktop
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
- StataCorp Stata
- Web browser software
Where it concentrates
BLS doesn't publish wages for Financial Quantitative Analysts separately. These are the figures for Financial Specialists, All Other (13-2099), its parent occupation.
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington Park, MD | 720 | 11.98 | $132,620 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | 340 | 10.96 | $97,470 |
| Warner Robins, GA | 390 | 6.04 | $99,760 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 1,060 | 5.21 | $92,670 |
| Beckley, WV | 130 | 3.58 | $81,470 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | 1,040 | 3.28 | $110,740 |
| Ogden, UT | 640 | 2.76 | $94,640 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | 210 | 2.62 | $99,570 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 1,820 | 2.60 | $75,130 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 950 | 2.51 | $70,110 |