Ramax research | Financial services talent economics
Selected pay examples and role insights to help you ask better questions about responsibilities, seniority and compensation. A financial advisor salary or fund accountant salary represents a different compensation model from revenue based advisor payouts, senior executive incentives or private market carried interest. Compare the responsibilities and structure behind the numbers before drawing conclusions. Speak with Ramax about the comparison that matters for your hire or next move.
Published Ramax search examples
Compare the role, seniority and location before using a salary figure. Explore regional compensation considerations for New York and other financial services markets.
Historical advertised compensation snapshots reviewed October 19, 2026. Annual amounts in U.S. dollars; these figures do not establish that the underlying searches remain open.
Three disclosed search targets show how differently employers can structure pay. Each figure belongs to one specific mandate. These are advertised targets, not accepted offers, placement outcomes or market-wide salary ranges.
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Real estate investment management
$450,000 to $600,000
Includes: base salary and annual bonus. Carried interest participation may be available for the right candidate; the listing does not put a dollar value on it.
Mandate: finance leadership across funds, management company and property entities, including audits and institutional investor reporting.
Chicago, Illinois
Investment management
$500,000 to $600,000
Includes: base salary and annual bonus. The published description does not disclose the split.
Mandate: a hands-on AI leader building investment research and operating tools, working with the COO, Founder/CIO and investment team.
Greenwich, Connecticut
Hedge fund and private equity strategies
$400,000 to $450,000
Disclosed base: $200,000 to $250,000, plus a significant bonus. The total is the advertised compensation target.
Mandate: fund formation and investment management documentation, side letters and ongoing fund legal responsibilities.
View the fund counsel compensation example; confirm availability with Ramax
A $500,000 total package is not a $500,000 base salary. Where a listing does not specify the split, we leave it unspecified. Availability and terms can change; confirm the current mandate with Ramax.
These examples show the kinds of mandates we work on. Your role, firm and compensation structure may call for a different comparison.
Interpreting advertised compensation. Consider whether figures describe base salary, target bonus, total cash or long-term awards, and whether the posting reflects a dated search rather than a currently available position.
Explore the research
Investment professionals, portfolio managers, analysts, traders, bankers and originators. Evaluate performance linked bonuses, production economics, strategy results, risk budgets and potential ownership.
Trade support, valuations, product control, collateral, treasury, investment analytics and portfolio oversight. Evaluate fixed versus variable pay, control responsibility, market expertise and management progression.
Fund administration, reconciliation, settlements, NAV oversight, investor reporting and operational infrastructure. Compare complexity of products, volumes, automation responsibility and leadership scope.
Fund accounting, corporate finance, FP&A, financial reporting, controllers, tax, treasury and CFO leadership. Distinguish regulated reporting responsibility from investment firm strategy and ownership participation.
General Counsel, fund counsel, regulatory counsel, CCO, AML, surveillance, monitoring and regulatory testing. Assess personal accountability, jurisdiction, independence, resources and deferred incentives.
Market, credit, liquidity, operational, model and enterprise risk. Compare direct investment exposure, independent oversight, quantitative expertise and regulatory accountability.
Engineering, data, cybersecurity, quantitative development, AI governance and technology executives. Evaluate scarce capabilities, platform impact, long term equity and competition from technology firms.
Distribution, institutional sales, fundraising, investor servicing and business development. Compare discretionary, formulaic and hybrid incentives, attribution, retention and fundraising cycles.
Advisors, planners, relationship managers and practice leaders. Consider production payouts, deferred awards, book portability, client retention and platform participation.
CEO, COO, CFO, CRO, CCO, people leadership and strategic operating executives. Assess guaranteed cash, deferred awards, equity, change of control protection, severance and succession.
The common framework
What responsibilities, revenue or risks does the role actually own?
Which elements of cash compensation are guaranteed versus contingent?
How do bonus, equity and other long term incentives vest and pay out?
Which benefits, working arrangements and protections change the effective value?
What comparable firms, geographies and seniority levels form the right market?
What changes the comparison
A controller overseeing fund accounting is a different mandate from a finance leader managing fund reporting, treasury and the management company. Similar titles can carry different team, product and regulatory responsibilities.
Our conversations look at the work behind the title and the competing employers for that experience. Tell us about the role you are considering or hiring.
Our completed-search record includes the following anonymized roles and approximate compensation figures. They show the breadth of work we have supported across financial services.
Historical examples, not current salary bands. The original records do not consistently specify the year or base, bonus and long-term split. These amounts should not be treated as current offers or annual base salaries.
| Function | Role | Firm type | Approximate figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance and accounting | Senior Manager, Finance & Accounting, Alternative Investment | Hedge Fund | ~$250K |
| Finance and accounting | Controller, Private Equity | Private Equity | ~$180K |
| Legal and compliance | Compliance, AML, Major International Financial Services Firm | Bank / Investment Bank | ~$400K |
| Legal and compliance | Commercial Counsel | Real Estate | ~$260K |
| Legal and compliance | Compliance Analyst, RIA | Family Office / RIA | ~$125K |
| Leadership | Chief Financial Officer, Hedge Fund | Hedge Fund | ~$525K |
| Leadership | Chief Operating Officer, Private Equity | Private Equity | ~$500K |
| Human resources | Head of Human Resources, Financial Services | Bank / Investment Bank | ~$375K |
| Human resources | Head of Human Resources | Hedge Fund | ~$575K |
| Investment and research | Investment Analyst, Private Equity | Private Equity | ~$275K |
| Investment and research | Investment Associate, Private Equity | Private Equity | ~$175K |
| Investment and trading | Portfolio Manager, Long/Short Equity | Hedge Fund | ~$475K |
| Client relationships | Client Relationship Manager, Wealth Management | Wealth Advisory | ~$325K |
| Technology and security | Information Security Director | Hedge Fund | ~$375K |
| Technology and security | Salesforce Software Engineer | Hedge Fund | ~$180K |
| Risk and audit | Senior Risk Manager, Risk and Compliance, Financial Services | Bank / Investment Bank | ~$225K |
For a current hiring budget, compare the responsibilities, firm model, location and complete pay mix. Tell us which role you want to benchmark.
A salary comparison becomes useful when you can see what the person is expected to own. The same title can describe a specialist working within an established team or the person building that function from scratch. Here are some of the differences we explore with financial services employers and candidates.
A fund accountant, fund controller and CFO may work with the same reporting cycle, but their responsibilities differ. Who reviews valuations? Who answers investor questions? Who manages the administrator, audit and treasury relationships? Moving from preparing work to signing off on it changes the comparison. A deputy with substantial decision authority also deserves a different benchmark from a supporting role with the same years of experience.
A compliance professional might focus on testing, surveillance or marketing review. A Deputy CCO may lead several of those activities under a CCO, while a stand-alone CCO owns the broader program and relationship with leadership. Ask what the person will decide, what resources are available and where difficult issues are escalated. Years of experience alone do not answer those questions.
An in-house fund attorney and a General Counsel may both negotiate documents, but the latter may also manage outside counsel, advise the partnership and own the firm’s legal priorities. In risk, distinguish analysis supporting investment decisions from independent oversight with authority to challenge them. Compare the actual remit before comparing pay.
An analyst’s research contribution, a portfolio manager’s investment responsibility and a fundraising leader’s investor relationships call for different incentive discussions. Find out whether an award reflects individual results, team results, firm discretion or a formula. Then ask how that formula treats losses, redemptions, shared relationships and a change of role.
A role supporting an established platform differs from one expected to redesign workflows, select systems or build a new capability. A hands-on technology leader may have a small team and substantial responsibility. An operations manager may oversee several providers rather than a large internal department. Team size is useful context, but it is not the whole job.
HR, talent acquisition and total rewards roles can range from specialist execution to advising the firm’s leadership. Wealth advisory work can combine planning, relationship management, business development and team leadership in different proportions. Establish which contribution the employer needs and how success will be assessed before choosing a comparison group.
A short role outline, firm type, location, reporting line and proposed base and bonus are enough to start. We can then explore the responsibilities, resources and experience that make the comparison more specific. Candidates can begin with their current role and what they would like the next move to change.
See how firm type affects compensation, review the components of a complete offer, or request a custom benchmark conversation.
Compensation hub · By function · By sector · Total rewards
These are selected examples of the compensation questions we work on. The useful next step depends on your situation.
Hiring for your firm? Discuss the role, responsibilities and compensation with Ramax.
Considering your next move? Explore career paths by function and sector, or speak with us confidentially about your role or offer.
All Expertise | Wealth Management | Alternative Investments | Private Equity | Hedge Funds | Accounting & Finance | Legal & Compliance | AI & Technology