How difficult would it be to get a 400k-500k+ salary in the US?

[jayatenet]

Suppose that I finish my undergrad in a relevant field and also get a mfe from Top15 university, how competitive or difficult would it be to get such a high salary? Is it more feasible for that high salary 5-10 years down the road?

 

[joe_boy]

Suppose that I finish my undergrad in a relevant field and also get a mfe from Top15 university, how competitive or difficult would it be to get such a high salary? Is it more feasible for that high salary 5-10 years down the road?

Yeah..about 10 years for sure (base) and about 5 years (base and bonus).

Top 10 - You should expect about 100k base in your first year.
Top 2 (Baruch and Princeton) - You can expect maybe 200k base
Other schools in the top ten are in between, but of course, salary also depends on your skill set, work experience and your performance during interviews. Some make more, some make less.

Heard some Citadel, Jane Street guys pull 400k - 500k in their first year. Don't know how true that is, but even if it is, bonus is probably included. And again, that should not be the expectation. The chances of getting in doesn't significantly increase just because you completed an MFE.

Got my information using efinancialcareers 2023 careers guide and the salaries on Quant.net.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

With the right role and the right skill set, such a number is obtainable for that proposed timeline. One may want to set expectation to a lower bracket which is still much higher than other industries' average.

 

[achirikhin]

As a quant, this is the total comp of a "Director" grade, so 7+ years, roughly, in up to a 2nd tier global bank. As a trader (including "quant trader"), should be more.

See chapter 6 of Quantitative Analyst, Developer, Strat: The Profession