How much do risk jobs in investment banks really pay?
Risk jobs might be vulnerable to automation, but for those that remain it can still be a lucrative career. A survey from recruitment firm Barclay Simpson shows that, in London, top level risk professionals can make over £300k ($407k) in salary alone.
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The survey's results suggest that market risk is the most lucrative area of risk to work in. Risk professionals in that field earn the most on average at every seniority, with managing directors (MDs) making a minimum expected salary of £300k. They can be valuable assets in a volatile market, which we've certainly had in the last few years, but it's an employer's market; the report said "job volumes are noticeably lower than historic averages" and that companies are "not always replacing people who leave." Operational risk staff, by contrast, don't earn as much. At MD level, the minimum expected salary is £160k, just over half that of a market risk MD.
How do things compare globally? In our 2026 salary and bonus report, we found that risk was the highest paying of the middle office functions: the average risk professional globally earns $247k in total compensation. They also worked 50.6 hours per week on average, giving them an average hourly pay of $94.
Junior risk staff seem to be much better compensated in the US. While a graduate market risk professional in London earns £55k ($75k), JPMorgan's 2027 risk management graduate analyst program pays a flat salary of $100k in New York.
Pay for quant risk professionals is middle of the road in a bank, but you can earn decent money if you switch to the buy side. Giuseppe Paleologo, head of quant research for Balyasny, said in 2024 that you can earn between $250k and $500k in total compensation as a risk professional in a hedge fund or trading firm.
Return to our guide to careers in risk management.
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