A quant researcher designs and tests the statistical models that generate trading signals. In New York, total compensation typically runs from about $250,000 at entry level to $900,000 or more for senior researchers with an attributable track record, with the majority of the package delivered as performance bonus.
Live vacancies
160
Employers hiring
19
Market guides
17
Seniority bands
4
How much does a quant researcher earn?
A quant researcher designs and tests the statistical models that generate trading signals. In New York, total compensation typically runs from about $250,000 at entry level to $900,000 or more for senior researchers with an attributable track record, with the majority of the package delivered as performance bonus. 160 quant researcher roles are open right now across 19 employers and 16 cities we track.
KnowQuant research desk·Updated 1 September 2026·160 live vacancies from 19 employers, plus 4 modelled seniority bands across 17 hub markets·Method 2026.1
Where quant researcher demand sits today
Vacancy counts come straight from the career pages of the employers we track and change daily. The pay tables below are modelled bands, dated separately, so you can see demand and money side by side without confusing the two.
Live vacancies
160
Open roles matching this function
Employers hiring
19
Distinct firms with an open seat
Doctorate preferred
89
Vacancies stating a PhD preference
Open roles by city
New York
58
Hong Kong
24
London
21
Singapore
18
Chicago
12
Shanghai
4
gurgaon
3
Mumbai
3
Read live from each employer's own career page. Last full refresh September 2026. Pay ranges shown further down are modelled and labelled where an employer has not stated a figure.
By city
Modelled total compensation range across every seniority, with the modelled reference estimate for the role, in each market's local currency.
Quant Researcher total compensation by city, September 2026
Annual median wage across all employers, not just quant firms, for the government occupations closest to a quant researcher. Quant-firm pay usually sits well above these medians; use them as a floor and a regional guide, not as a quant benchmark.
New York reference market, US dollars. Base salary and total compensation.
Quant Researcher compensation by seniority in New York, September 2026
Level
Experience
Base
Total comp
Entry / PhD hire
0-2 yrs
$150k – $200k
$230k – $400k
Researcher
2-5 yrs
$175k – $250k
$350k – $650k
Senior Researcher
5-8 yrs
$200k – $300k
$550k – $1.1m
Lead / Head of Research
8+ yrs
$250k – $400k
$800k – $2.5m
About the role
Quant research is the alpha-generating function: forming hypotheses about market behaviour, testing them against historical data, and turning the survivors into production signals. The work is closer to empirical science than to software engineering, though strong researchers write good code. Compensation is the highest-variance of any quant role because it tracks measurable contribution - a researcher whose signals carry a book will out-earn peers substantially.
Sourced answers to the questions people bring to this page, each with the figure, the date and the caveat.
How much does a quant researcher earn?
A quant researcher designs and tests the statistical models that generate trading signals. In New York, total compensation typically runs from about $250,000 at entry level to $900,000 or more for senior researchers with an attributable track record, with the majority of the package delivered as performance bonus. The New York band runs $230k – $2.5m in annual total compensation, with a modelled reference estimate of $475k. Figures are base salary plus expected performance bonus, excluding sign-on, deferred equity and carry.
What does a quant researcher earn at entry level?
An entry hire (Entry / PhD hire, 0-2 years) is typically offered $150k to $200k in base salary and $230k to $400k in total compensation in New York. At the senior end (Lead / Head of Research, 8+ years) total compensation reaches $2.5m.
Where is the best-paid market for a quant researcher?
New York leads on headline modelled total compensation at $475k, with London at £319k. Both are modelled reference estimates for the role, not observed medians. Bands are shown in each market's local currency across 17 hub markets, so tax treatment and cost of living still change the net picture materially.
What skills do firms hire quant researchers for?
The recurring requirements are Statistics, Python, Time-series analysis, Machine learning, Backtesting. Typical backgrounds are physics or mathematics phd, statistics / econometrics phd, computer science with ml research. Of the live vacancies we classify for this role, 89 ask for a PhD.
How many quant researchers roles are open right now?
We currently classify 160 open quant researcher vacancies across 19 firms and 16 markets. The count is rebuilt from employer career pages rather than reposted listings, so it reflects roles that are genuinely open.
Can I quote these quant researcher figures?
Yes, with attribution and a link. Method 2026.1, last reviewed September 2026. Cite the dated edition rather than the live page if you need the number to stay stable: KnowQuant Quant Compensation Benchmark, Q3 2026 edition, method 2026.1. https://www.know-quant.com/salary/quant-researcher
Quant Researcher head to head
Pay, entry route and day to day work for Quant Researcher set against the roles candidates choose between.
Free to quote and republish with attribution and a link to the source page, under our terms. Method 2026.1, last reviewed 1 September 2026. The methodology sets out how each band is built and what it excludes.
Benchmark yourself
See the modelled band for your role and level
Pick your role, market and years of experience and we take you to the calculator with that selection already applied. Opening the calculator records nothing about you. Tick the box and leave an email only if you want the research desk to reply.
Candidates
Step 1 of 2
Get your salary range and market outlook
Three answers, and the desk returns your band in local currency plus a read on where that market is heading. No account, no recruiter call unless you ask.
Free. Your band appears on screen straight away and the desk keeps your request on file.
Candidates
Register your profile with the desk
Two minutes, no account, nothing public. When a role matches your profile, the desk reaches out directly and only with your permission.
Stay ahead
Step 2 of 2
Register for alerts on your role and city
Email alerts are not switched on yet. You can note the segment you follow here, and in the meantime save a search on the jobs page to come straight back to an up-to-date list on screen.
Nothing is sent to your inbox. If you want to speak to someone, use the enquiry form instead.
Weekly market movements
One email a week, on what moved and why
The dated market call: which desks opened seats, where pay shifted, and which markets tightened. Written by the research desk, sent Monday, and nothing else.
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.
KnowQuant·Index 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.
KnowQuant·Index 2026.1 · Updated September 2026
KnowQuant · Publishes indicative market ranges for information purposes and does not provide financial advice.