Passing Level I alone is not going to get you a job - but it will open doors that may have once been closed to you.

Studying for Level I demonstrates a commitment to finance that others applying to entry level roles may not have. Think about it: if you had two candidates with the same background, but one had passed CFA Level I, which would you pick?

Level I is especially crucial for career switchers. You need to speak the language that your peers are already fluent in.

The CFA Institute suggests that after passing Level I you can start looking at entry-level, junior, and internship roles across:

• asset management
• equity research
• fixed income
• wealth management
• financial planning and analysis
• and more…

In India, 55% of companies who hire CFA candidates are global multinational corporations, which is a bit surprising (CFA Institute, 2023). If you want to expand your horizons even beyond the pure finance world, starting the CFA program is a great place to start.

At this point you’re probably thinking: passing Level I may help me get my foot in the door, switch to a career in finance, or get into a global company with equally global opportunities, but…

How much money can you make after passing CFA Level I?

Full-time junior roles in these areas garner salaries of up to $200,000. 

Even if you are already working in finance, you will likely see a 14% pay bump for passing Level I (Kaplan Schweser CFA Survey, 2025).

Sector	Job Title	Primary Responsibility	Total Comp. Est. (incl. Bonus)
Equity Research	Junior Equity Research Associate	Analyzing financial statements and industry trends, leading to "Buy/Hold/Sell" recommendations on stocks.	$110,000 – $130,000+
Fixed Income	Fixed Income Analyst	Evaluating creditworthiness and interest rate risks to value bonds, notes, and other debt instruments.	$100,000 – $125,000
Asset Management	Junior Asset Management Analyst	Monitoring portfolio performance and conducting due diligence to support long-term investment strategies for institutional clients.	$95,000 – $110,000
Wealth Management	Wealth Management Analyst	Developing personalized financial plans, tax strategies, and investment allocations for high-net-worth individuals.	$85,000 – $105,000
FP&A	Junior Financial Analyst	Managing internal budgets, forecasting revenue, and performing variance analysis to guide corporate decision-making.	$70,000 – $85,000
Investment Banking	Investment Banking Analyst	Executing complex financial modeling and "pitch books" for mergers, acquisitions (M&A), and capital raising.	$160,000 – $200,000+

What jobs can you expect after becoming a CFA Charterholder?

According to the CFA Institute (2024) Charterholders are more likely to be in portfolio management than any other vertical:

• ~26% are in portfolio management
• ~12% are in research/analysis
• ~8% are in consulting
• ~7% are in investment strategy
• The rest are spread across risk management, corporate finance, trading, accounting/audit and more…

A majority of charterholders agree that their CFA charter has helped them move into a leadership position - a supermajority of senior executives do (CFA Institute, 2024).

Thus, after successfully gaining your charter you can expect to be in a leadership position, most likely in portfolio management or research. But the question remains, how much can you actually make?

How much money can you make after becoming a CFA Charterholder?

In India, after receiving their Charter, candidates have usually 3x’d their Level I earnings (CFA Institute, 2023).

Career Step	Average Raise
Level 1 → Level 2	~33%
Level 2 → Level 3	~33%
Level 3 → Charterholder	~66%
Cumulative Raise	193.6% (nearly 3x)

Globally, the average total compensation across all job functions for a CFA Charterholder is $267,000 (CFA Institute, 2024).

The highest paid vertical you can get into after gaining your charter is becoming a Chief Investment Officer. One in ten charterholders are CIOs, and they earn an average of $350,000 in the U.S. (CFA Institute, 2024).

Vertical	Job Title	Primary Responsibility	Average Total Comp (U.S.)
Portfolio Management	Portfolio Manager (PM)	Investment decision-making & fund strategy	$200,000 – $400,000+
Research / Analysis	Senior Buy-Side Analyst	Deep-dive valuation and sector expertise	$220,000 – $310,000
Investment Strategy	Chief Investment Strategist	Macro-economic forecasting & asset allocation	$250,000 – $380,000
Consulting	Institutional Consultant	Advising pension funds and endowments	$190,000 – $260,000
Executive Leadership	Chief Investment Officer (CIO)	Overseeing entire investment organization	$300,000 – $500,000+

So whenever you are elbow deep in Derivatives, or you're not sure you’ll ever really understand Ethics, remember: it is worth it.