Signal discovery and alpha research
Quant Researcher salary
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.
By city
Total compensation range and median in each market's local currency.
| Market | Currency | Range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | USD | $230k – $2.5m | $475k |
| London | GBP | £154k – £1.7m | £319k |
| Chicago | USD | $223k – $2.4m | $461k |
| Singapore | SGD | S$253k – S$2.7m | S$522k |
| Hong Kong | HKD | HK$1.5m – HK$17m | HK$3.1m |
| Amsterdam | EUR | €157k – €1.7m | €323k |
| San Francisco | USD | $219k – $2.4m | $451k |
| Paris | EUR | €144k – €1.6m | €297k |
| Zurich / Geneva | CHF | CHF 182k – CHF 2.0m | CHF 376k |
| Dubai / Abu Dhabi | AED | AED 743k – AED 8.1m | AED 1.5m |
By seniority
New York reference market, US dollars. Base salary and total compensation.
| 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.
Skills firms hire for
- Statistics
- Python
- Time-series analysis
- Machine learning
- Backtesting
- C++
Typical backgrounds
- —Physics or mathematics PhD
- —Statistics / econometrics PhD
- —Computer science with ML research
- —Olympiad and competitive mathematics
Other roles
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.
KnowQaunt 2026.1 · Updated September 2026
These are indicative ranges pending first-party verification. They will be replaced by verified submissions as the Quant Salary Index dataset builds.