Quantitative Analyst job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

13

O*NET task statements

O*NET occupation

Financial Quantitative Analysts

O*NET-SOC 13-2099.01

Preparation

Job Zone 5 of 5

extensive preparation

Data Government data groups this job as Financial Quantitative Analysts (O*NET-SOC 13-2099.01). O*NET 31.0 lists “Quantitative Analyst” as a job title for this occupation only (evidence: O*NET's Sample of Reported Titles (titles job holders report), O*NET job-incumbent data, the U.S. Employment and Training Administration and employer job postings). O*NET figures on this page are for that occupation. BLS publishes no wage or projection for it on its own: it is counted within the residual group Financial Specialists, All Other, whose figures are not shown. TryHired has no separate career page for this title yet.

1. Apply mathematical or statistical techniques to address practical issues in finance, such as derivative valuation, securities trading, risk management, or financial market regulation. importance 4.4 of 5
2. Research or develop analytical tools to address issues such as portfolio construction or optimization, performance measurement, attribution, profit and loss measurement, or pricing models. importance 4.2 of 5
3. Interpret results of financial analysis procedures. importance 4.1 of 5
4. Develop core analytical capabilities or model libraries, using advanced statistical, quantitative, or econometric techniques. importance 4.0 of 5
5. Define or recommend model specifications or data collection methods. importance 3.9 of 5
6. Produce written summary reports of financial research results. importance 3.6 of 5
7. Maintain or modify all financial analytic models in use. importance 3.6 of 5
8. Provide application or analytical support to researchers or traders on issues such as valuations or data. importance 3.6 of 5
9. Devise or apply independent models or tools to help verify results of analytical systems. importance 3.5 of 5
10. Collaborate in the development or testing of new analytical software to ensure compliance with user requirements, specifications, or scope. importance 3.4 of 5
11. Confer with other financial engineers or analysts on trading strategies, market dynamics, or trading system performance to inform development of quantitative techniques. importance 3.4 of 5
12. Consult traders or other financial industry personnel to determine the need for new or improved analytical applications. importance 3.4 of 5
13. Research new financial products or analytics to determine their usefulness. importance 3.3 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Working with Computers, Analyzing Data or Information, Processing Information, Getting Information and Making Decisions and Solving Problems.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Identify, track, or maintain metrics for trading system operations.
• Develop methods of assessing or measuring corporate performance in terms of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues.
• Collaborate with product development teams to research, model, validate, or implement quantitative structured solutions for new or expanded markets.
• Prepare requirements documentation for use by software developers.
• Develop solutions to help clients hedge carbon exposure or risk.
• Develop tools to assess green technologies or green financial products, such as green hedge funds or social responsibility investment funds.

Knowledge areas: Mathematics, Economics and Accounting, Computers and Electronics and English Language.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: SAS, The MathWorks MATLAB, C++, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education and training: BLS publishes no entry-level education, experience or training category for this occupation on its own (it is counted within Financial Specialists, All Other).
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 5 of 5 (extensive preparation). Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

Most O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation (60%) name a master's degree as the education the job requires.

Job title: Quantitative Analyst
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Quantitative Analyst to develop quantitative techniques to inform securities investing, equities investing, pricing, or valuation of financial instruments.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Apply mathematical or statistical techniques to address practical issues in finance, such as derivative valuation, securities trading, risk management, or financial market regulation.
- Research or develop analytical tools to address issues such as portfolio construction or optimization, performance measurement, attribution, profit and loss measurement, or pricing models.
- Interpret results of financial analysis procedures.
- Develop core analytical capabilities or model libraries, using advanced statistical, quantitative, or econometric techniques.
- Define or recommend model specifications or data collection methods.
- Produce written summary reports of financial research results.
- Maintain or modify all financial analytic models in use.
- Provide application or analytical support to researchers or traders on issues such as valuations or data.

What we are looking for
- [Education this role truly needs]
- Strength in mathematics, critical thinking and reading comprehension
- Working knowledge of Mathematics and Economics and Accounting
- [Software your team uses, e.g. SAS or The MathWorks MATLAB]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

BLS publishes no wage and no employment projection for Financial Quantitative Analysts on its own. The occupation is counted within Financial Specialists, All Other, a residual group of unrelated jobs, so no figure from that group is shown here as quantitative analyst pay.

• Read a real quantitative analyst posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Apply mathematical or statistical techniques to address practical…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only quantitative analyst work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (mathematics and critical thinking): a real situation, what you did and what changed.