Head to head
Man Group vs Marshall Wace
Man Group or Marshall Wace?
Man Group is a systematic manager headquartered in London; Marshall Wace is a hedge fund headquartered in London. On indicative total compensation Marshall Wace sits roughly 10 percentage points higher against the market median. The larger difference for most candidates is the work itself: systematic macro and trend following at Man Group, versus systematic equity and alpha capture at Marshall Wace.
| Man Group | Marshall Wace | |
|---|---|---|
| Business model | Systematic manager | Hedge fund |
| Headquarters | London | London |
| Founded | 1783 | 1997 |
| Comp vs market median | -5% | +5% |
| Offices | London, New York, Boston, Hong Kong, Zurich / Geneva, Paris, Shanghai | London, New York, Hong Kong, Dubai / Abu Dhabi |
| Strategies | Systematic macro, Trend following, Machine learning, Multi-strategy | Systematic equity, Alpha capture, Long/short equity |
| Hires for | Quant Researcher, Quant Developer, Systematic Portfolio Manager | Quant Researcher, Quant Developer, Systematic Portfolio Manager |
| Interview stages | 3 | 3 |
| Typical backgrounds | PhD researchers, Academic partnerships, Systematic research from peers | Quantitative equity research, PhD statistics, Data science |
Compensation by role
Indicative mid-level total compensation, US dollars, New York reference market.
| Role | Man Group | Marshall Wace |
|---|---|---|
| Quant Researcher | $380k | $420k |
| Quant Developer | $290k | $310k |
| Systematic Portfolio Manager | $1.2m | $1.4m |
A dash means we hold no indicative figure for that role at that firm. It is recorded as unknown rather than estimated.
Man Group
The largest listed hedge fund manager, with AHL as its systematic engine and a strong academic research culture including university partnerships. A common route into systematic research in London.
Interview process
- 1. ScreenRecruiter and CV review.
- 2. TechnicalStatistics, time series and coding.
- 3. Research panelDiscussion of prior research and a modelling problem.
Marshall Wace
Best known for its systematic alpha-capture platform combined with a large discretionary equity business. A leading London destination for equity-focused quantitative research.
Interview process
- 1. ScreenBackground review.
- 2. TechnicalStatistics, equity modelling and programming.
- 3. Final panelResearch discussion with the investment team.
Markets where both compete for talent
Other comparisons
Methodology
Figures are expressed as annual total compensation (base salary plus expected performance bonus) in the reference market's local currency, converted from a US dollar base. They describe typical market ranges rather than any individual offer, and exclude sign-on payments, deferred equity and carried interest. Portfolio-manager figures reflect formulaic profit-share arrangements and are therefore far more dispersed than any other role.
KnowQuantIndex 2026.1 · Updated September 2026
Modelled bands describe the market, not an individual offer. Where an employer states pay, the stated figure is used and labelled as such.
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