Entrepreneurial Finance – job positions

Financial Analyst

The Financial Analyst is a professional figure who analyzes financial data and supports business decisions through forecasts based on the analysis of economic performance. A central role in the company, the Financial Analyst is able to analyze balance sheets, evaluate investments and monitor company performance.

The salary for this role varies significantly[1]. For a junior position, the annual salary in Europe ranges from €25,000 to €45,000, while a senior professional can earn between €40,000 and €70,000+ per year. In the global market, juniors can earn between $60,000 and $75,000, while seniors can earn between $80,000 and $120,000+.

 

Corporate Finance Consultant

A Corporate Finance Consultant advises companies on financial strategies, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, capital raising, company valuations, and risk management. They help companies make strategic decisions, raise capital, and optimize investments.

A junior figure can expect an annual salary in Europe between €35,000 and €50,000, and in the global market between $70,000 and $100,000. A senior consultant can earn between €70,000 and €120,000 annually in Europe, and between $150,000 and $250,000 in the USA and globally.

 

Investment Analyst

An Investment Analyst is a professional capable of analyzing and monitoring financial investments for banks, investment funds, wealth managers, and companies. Their primary goal is to provide high-quality analysis to support investment strategies and decisions, minimizing risks and maximizing returns. Through financial analysis and market research, the Investment Analyst creates complex financial models to forecast costs and returns on investments, monitors portfolios, and presents information in an understandable manner to internal teams and clients.

A junior Investment Analyst in Europe can expect an annual salary between €30,000 and €45,000, and globally between $60,000 and $80,000. For senior positions, salaries range from €50,000 to €90,000 in Europe, and between $100,000 and $150,000+ globally.

 

Risk Manager

A Risk Manager is a professional responsible for identifying, analyzing, and managing business risks to protect the organization from potential financial losses or operational damages. Vital in sectors such as finance, insurance, energy, manufacturing, and tech, the Risk Manager assesses risks in various aspects of business operations and develops strategies to protect the organization and its assets. Knowledgeable in compliance and regulations, they are capable of managing crises to prevent unexpected events from disrupting business operations.

A junior Risk Manager in Europe can expect a salary between €30,000 and €45,000, and between $55,000 and $75,000 globally. A senior Risk Manager can earn between €60,000 and €120,000 in Europe, and between $100,000 and $150,000+ globally.

 

Venture Capital Analyst / Private Equity Analyst

A Venture Capital (VC) Analyst or a Private Equity (PE) Analyst works in firms that invest in start-ups and growth companies (VC) or in mature and highly profitable companies (PE). The analyst in these fields is responsible for evaluating companies, analyzing their growth potential and the associated risk; conducting research on target companies, verifying their solidity. More importantly, they seek new investment opportunities and monitor the performance of portfolio companies.

A junior VC or PE Analyst in Europe can expect an annual salary between €30,000 and €55,000, and between $70,000 and $100,000 globally. A senior can earn between €70,000 and €120,000 in Europe, and between $150,000 and $250,000 in the USA and globally.

 

Investment Banker / Corporate Finance Specialist

Investment Bankers and Corporate Finance Specialists are professionals who work in the financial sector, focusing primarily on mergers and acquisitions, corporate financing, restructuring and financial advice for companies.

While the roles are often overlapping, an Investment Banker tends to focus more on capital transactions and financial markets, while a Corporate Finance Specialist focuses on strategic corporate finance advisory.

A junior Investment Banker / Corporate Finance Specialist in Europe can expect an annual salary between €40,000 and €80,000, and between $90,000 and $120,000 in the USA and globally. A senior can earn between €80,000 and €150,000 annually in Europe, and between $150,000 and $300,000+ globally.

 

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a senior executive responsible for overseeing the overall financial strategy, accounting operations, and economic planning of the company. The CFO not only supervises accounting and financial management but also plays a key role in optimizing financial management and making strategic decisions to support the company’s growth and scalability.

For a junior CFO, such as in a startup, the average annual salary in Europe ranges from €50,000 to €70,000. A senior CFO can earn between €150,000 and €300,000 annually. In the global market, a junior CFO can expect to earn between $80,000 and $110,000 annually, while a senior CFO can earn between $180,000 and $350,000.

 

Entrepreneur / Imprenditore

An entrepreneur is a person who starts and runs his or her own business or company, taking on the financial and operational risks. Their primary responsibilities include creating and developing a business: from identifying an idea, creating a business model, and developing a product or service. Then, raising funds: they need to gather capital from investors, venture capital, bank loans, crowdfunding, etc. Following this, they manage the operational aspects of the business (overseeing all functions, from production to marketing, sales to human resources) and manage risks.

It’s impossible to define an entrepreneur’s income in advance, but two categories can be identified: those who start with limited capital and often earn low incomes in the first few years (below €30,000 in Europe and even less globally), and those managing already-established companies with large investments, whose earnings range from over €100,000 annually to several million euros or dollars globally

 

[1] For all the professional roles analyzed, salaries vary depending on the country and city: in major European capitals (London, Berlin, Paris), salaries are generally higher than in the rest of the EU. For the global market, we consider advanced non-EU countries, averaging salaries from the USA, South America, China, and Russia.

 

Sources: Glassdoor, Indeed, LinkedIn