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What are the working hours for investment bankers, and how does this compare to those in venture capital or hedge funds? Explore the top finance careers based on weekly working hours.
Intense work often correlates with significant rewards, particularly in terms of salaries available to business school graduates. Job seekers can explore roles in “buy-side” positions at hedge funds, private equity firms, and asset management companies, or take on numerous opportunities on the “sell-side” within investment banks.
However, it’s well-known that finance jobs often entail long hours and demanding workloads, especially in investment banking.
So, which finance careers demand the least hours each week?
The EFINANCIALCARERS 2024 compensation report provides useful insights into the work realities in finance, detailing the hours worked by investment bankers, traders, corporate finance professionals, and back-office staff.
Between February and March 2024, this survey gathered data on working hours, financial compensation, hourly wages, and job satisfaction from 6,000 finance professionals worldwide across various roles.
Now, let’s delve into the details:
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Top finance careers based on weekly workload
1. Raw Materials Trading: 41.7 hours
Hourly Compensation: $170.00
Average Hours (2022): 41.5 hours
Change: +0.6%
Traders in raw materials deal in physical commodities like gold, oil, and coffee. While they work fewer hours than others in finance, their pay ranks among the highest.
2. Operations: 43.8 hours
Hourly Compensation: $78.88
Average Hours (2022): 44.6 hours
Change: -1.8%
Operations professionals manage financial resources within organizations. They earn lower salaries compared to other finance roles, but the work demands tend to be less intense.
3. Finance: 43.9 hours
Hourly Compensation: $100.76
Average Hours (2022): 44.9 hours
Change: -2.2%
In basic finance roles such as auditing and accounting, professionals assess the financial health of companies, collaborating closely to ensure accuracy.
4. Compliance: 44.1 hours
Hourly Compensation: $86.22
Average Hours (2022): 38.9 hours
Change: +13.2%
Compliance officers ensure adherence to financial regulations, experiencing the largest increase in hours worked year over year, although their pay is among the lowest.
5. Technology: 44.7 hours
Hourly Compensation: $94.14
Average Hours (2022): 44.3 hours
Change: +0.8%
Technology professionals in finance have seen a slight increase in hours as the industry stabilizes after layoffs, yet still earn relatively lower hourly compensation.
6. Private Equity: 47.2 hours
Hourly Compensation: $107.30
Average Hours (2022): 48 hours
Change: -1.7%
Professionals in private equity handle various tasks including identifying potential acquisitions, tracking investments, and managing relationships with businesses.
7. Hedge Funds: 47.3 hours
Hourly Compensation: $198.00
Average Hours (2022): 45.7 hours
Change: +3.5%
Hedge fund professionals develop investment strategies and conduct market analysis. They receive the highest hourly compensation in 2023.
8. Quantitative Analysis: 47.5 hours
Hourly Compensation: $111.80
Average Hours (2022): 47.3 hours
Change: +0.4%
Quantitative traders utilize mathematical models to seize trading opportunities, with stable working hours over the past year.
9. Risk Management: 48.3 hours
Hourly Compensation: $91.41
Average Hours (2022): 48 hours
Change: +0.6%
Risk management professionals analyze and mitigate financial risks to protect organizational revenue, leveraging data to inform their strategies.
10. Equity Sales and Trading: 50.3 hours
Hourly Compensation: $119.35
Average Hours (2022): 50.6 hours
Change: -0.7%
Selling and trading equities involves purchasing and selling stocks, typically leading to some of the highest earnings in finance, with investment bankers working over 50 hours weekly.
11. Credit Sales and Trading: 51.6 hours
Hourly Compensation: $147.13
Average Hours (2022): 51.7 hours
Change: -0.3%
Professionals in credit trading navigate the buying and selling of debt securities, assessing the repayment capabilities of individuals and organizations.
12. Macro Sales and Trading: 51.9 hours
Hourly Compensation: $179.52
Average Hours (2022): 52.8 hours
Change: -1.6%
Macro traders focus on economic and political factors influencing investments and markets, earning significantly higher hourly rates than bankers.
13. Debt Capital Markets: 58 hours
Hourly Compensation: $113.63
Average Hours (2022): 58.1 hours
Change: -0.2%
DCM analysts strategize on borrowing options for companies and governments, consistently working long hours in the investment banking sector.
14. Equity Research: 61.3 hours
Hourly Compensation: $110.62
Average Hours (2022): 61.9 hours
Change: -0.9%
Equity researchers analyze data to provide investment recommendations, marking the first role on this list to exceed 60 hours weekly.
15. Capital Markets: 64.3 hours
Hourly Compensation: $119.99
Average Hours (2022): 68.3 hours
Change: -5.9%
Equity capital market (ECM) professionals focus on raising capital for companies through equity, facing intensive workload and earning high compensation.
16. M&A: 67.1 hours
Hourly Compensation: $108.46
Average Hours (2022): 69.3 hours
Change: -3.2%
M&A analysts facilitate corporate mergers and acquisitions, averaging about 67 hours per week—lower than pandemic peaks but still extensive.
For further insight into the finance industry, including potential earnings and guidance on securing finance jobs,
download our finance careers guide
