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What can you do with the CFA?
What you can earn, after you learn.
What jobs can you expect after passing CFA Level I?
Passing Level I alone is not going to get you a job — but it will open doors that may have once been closed to you.
Studying for Level I demonstrates a commitment to finance that others applying to entry level roles may not have. Think about it: if you had two candidates with the same background, but one had passed CFA Level I, which would you pick?
Level I is especially crucial for career switchers. You need to speak the language that your peers are already fluent in.
The CFA Institute suggests that after passing Level I you can start looking at entry-level, junior, and internship roles across:
- asset management
- equity research
- fixed income
- wealth management
- financial planning and analysis
- and more…
In India, 55% of companies who hire CFA candidates are global multinational corporations, which is a bit surprising (CFA Institute, 2023). If you want to expand your horizons even beyond the pure finance world, starting the CFA program is a great place to start.
At this point you're probably thinking: passing Level I may help me get my foot in the door, switch to a career in finance, or get into a global company with equally global opportunities, but…
How much money can you make after passing CFA Level I?
Full-time junior roles in these areas garner salaries of up to $200,000.
Even if you are already working in finance, you will likely see a 14% pay bump for passing Level I (Kaplan Schweser CFA Survey, 2025).
| Sector | Job Title | Primary Responsibility | Total Comp. Est. (incl. Bonus) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity Research | Junior Equity Research Associate | Analyzing financial statements and industry trends, leading to "Buy/Hold/Sell" recommendations on stocks. | $110,000 – $130,000+ |
| Fixed Income | Fixed Income Analyst | Evaluating creditworthiness and interest rate risks to value bonds, notes, and other debt instruments. | $100,000 – $125,000 |
| Asset Management | Junior Asset Management Analyst | Monitoring portfolio performance and conducting due diligence to support long-term investment strategies for institutional clients. | $95,000 – $110,000 |
| Wealth Management | Wealth Management Analyst | Developing personalized financial plans, tax strategies, and investment allocations for high-net-worth individuals. | $85,000 – $105,000 |
| FP&A | Junior Financial Analyst | Managing internal budgets, forecasting revenue, and performing variance analysis to guide corporate decision-making. | $70,000 – $85,000 |
| Investment Banking | Investment Banking Analyst | Executing complex financial modeling and "pitch books" for mergers, acquisitions (M&A), and capital raising. | $160,000 – $200,000+ |
What jobs can you expect after becoming a CFA Charterholder?
According to the CFA Institute (2024), Charterholders are more likely to be in portfolio management than any other vertical:
- ~26% are in portfolio management
- ~12% are in research/analysis
- ~8% are in consulting
- ~7% are in investment strategy
- The rest are spread across risk management, corporate finance, trading, accounting/audit and more…
A majority of charterholders agree that their CFA charter has helped them move into a leadership position — a supermajority of senior executives do (CFA Institute, 2024).
Thus, after successfully gaining your charter you can expect to be in a leadership position, most likely in portfolio management or research. But the question remains, how much can you actually make?
How much money can you make after becoming a CFA Charterholder?
In India, after receiving their Charter, candidates have usually 3x'd their Level I earnings (CFA Institute, 2023).
| Career Step | Average Raise |
|---|---|
| Level 1 → Level 2 | ~33% |
| Level 2 → Level 3 | ~33% |
| Level 3 → Charterholder | ~66% |
| Cumulative Raise | 193.6% (nearly 3x) |
Globally, the average total compensation across all job functions for a CFA Charterholder is $267,000 (CFA Institute, 2024).
The highest paid vertical you can get into after gaining your charter is becoming a Chief Investment Officer. One in ten charterholders are CIOs, and they earn an average of $350,000 in the U.S. (CFA Institute, 2024).
| Vertical | Job Title | Primary Responsibility | Average Total Comp (U.S.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio Management | Portfolio Manager (PM) | Investment decision-making & fund strategy | $200,000 – $400,000+ |
| Research / Analysis | Senior Buy-Side Analyst | Deep-dive valuation and sector expertise | $220,000 – $310,000 |
| Investment Strategy | Chief Investment Strategist | Macro-economic forecasting & asset allocation | $250,000 – $380,000 |
| Consulting | Institutional Consultant | Advising pension funds and endowments | $190,000 – $260,000 |
| Executive Leadership | Chief Investment Officer (CIO) | Overseeing entire investment organization | $300,000 – $500,000+ |
So whenever you are elbow deep in Derivatives, or you're not sure you'll ever really understand Ethics, remember: it is worth it.
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