Quantitative Analyst Salary UK
Last updated: July 2026 · Written by Shev Dilay, Live Digital · 11 min readQuantitative Analyst Salary UK — 2026 Quick Reference
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- UK average base salary: ~£85,000
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- Entry-level / graduate quant: £55,000–£80,000 base
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- Quant Analyst (mid-level): £85,000–£130,000 base
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- Senior Quant Analyst: £130,000–£180,000 base
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- Lead / Head of Quant: £180,000–£250,000+ base
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- Total comp with bonus: often £150,000–£300,000+ (hedge funds & prop trading higher)
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- Location: overwhelmingly London-based
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- Related roles: Quant Developer £90k–£160k · Quant Researcher £100k–£200k+
Contents
Average Quantitative Analyst Salary UK 2026
The average quantitative analyst base salary in the UK is around £85,000 in 2026, according to the latest job-posting data — but that figure barely tells the story. Published benchmarks range from Indeed’s £84,700 average base to IT Jobs Watch’s £130,000 median and Glassdoor’s £100,600 average for London. Specialist recruiters such as Barclay Simpson quote a full range of £65,000 to £400,000+. Two things explain that enormous spread. First, “quant” covers a wide seniority range, from a graduate analyst on £60,000 to a Head of Quant clearing £250,000 base. Second — and more importantly — base salary is only part of a quant’s package. Bonuses are large and highly variable, and total compensation is driven heavily by the type of firm: an investment-bank quant, a hedge-fund quant and a proprietary-trading quant on the same base can take home wildly different totals once bonus and profit share are included. So the useful benchmark isn’t a single average — it’s base plus expected bonus, read against seniority and firm type. This guide breaks all three down.Quantitative Analyst Salary Per Month in the UK
On an £85,000 base, a quant analyst earns roughly £7,100 per month gross before bonus. Because quant bonuses are typically paid annually as a lump sum, monthly figures below reflect base salary only — total annual compensation is usually significantly higher.| Level | Base salary | Approx. monthly (gross, base only) |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate / entry quant | £55,000–£80,000 | £4,600–£6,700 |
| Quant Analyst (mid) | £85,000–£130,000 | £7,100–£10,800 |
| Senior Quant Analyst | £130,000–£180,000 | £10,800–£15,000 |
| Head of Quant | £180,000–£250,000+ | £15,000–£20,800+ |
Quantitative Analyst Salary by Seniority
Graduate / Entry-Level Quant — £55,000–£80,000 base
Graduate quant roles almost always require a strong quantitative postgraduate degree (MSc or PhD in maths, physics, statistics, computer science or financial engineering). Entry base salaries start around £55,000–£70,000 at banks and asset managers, and higher at top prop-trading firms, where first-year total packages can already exceed £150,000.Quantitative Analyst (mid-level) — £85,000–£130,000 base
With 2–5 years’ experience, a quant analyst owns pricing models, risk analytics or trading strategies independently. This is the core of the market and where the £85,000 average base sits. Total compensation at this level commonly lands between £120,000 and £200,000.Senior Quantitative Analyst — £130,000–£180,000 base
Senior quants lead model development and mentor junior analysts. Glassdoor’s London average approaches £100,000 for the general title, but experienced seniors at strong firms base well above that, with total comp frequently exceeding £250,000.Lead / Head of Quant — £180,000–£250,000+ base
Leadership roles owning a quant function or desk. Base salaries reach £180,000–£250,000+, and total compensation at hedge funds and prop-trading firms — where pay is tied to desk or fund performance — can run substantially higher, into seven figures for the strongest performers.Quantitative Analyst Salary by Firm Type
Firm type is the biggest single driver of a quant’s total pay — often more than seniority. The same analyst can earn a very different total at a bank versus a hedge fund versus a prop-trading firm, because bonus structures differ fundamentally.| Firm type | Typical base | Typical total comp |
|---|---|---|
| Investment bank | £70,000–£150,000 | £90,000–£220,000 |
| Asset manager | £70,000–£140,000 | £85,000–£180,000 |
| Hedge fund | £100,000–£200,000 | £150,000–£400,000+ |
| Proprietary trading firm | £100,000–£200,000 | £200,000–£500,000+ |
| Fintech / financial services | £70,000–£120,000 | £90,000–£160,000 |
Bonus & Total Compensation
For quants, bonus is not a top-up — it’s a core part of the package. At banks and asset managers, bonuses commonly run 20–100% of base. At hedge funds and prop-trading firms, performance bonuses can equal or exceed base salary, and for strong performers can be several multiples of it. Specialist recruiter data puts average total compensation for an established UK quant at roughly £150,000–£250,000, rising well beyond that at the top end. This is why comparing quant roles on base salary alone is misleading. A £110,000 base at a bank and a £120,000 base at a prop firm can translate into totals £150,000 apart once bonus is included. Always benchmark on expected total compensation, and factor in the variance: prop and hedge-fund pay is higher on average but far less predictable year to year.Quantitative Analyst Salary in London vs the Rest of the UK
Quant finance in the UK is overwhelmingly concentrated in London, home to the investment banks, hedge funds and trading firms that employ the vast majority of quants. Glassdoor’s London average of around £100,600 runs a few percent above the national figure, and the very highest packages are almost exclusively London-based. Outside London, quant roles exist at a handful of asset managers, banks and fintechs in centres such as Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester, typically at 10–20% lower total compensation. Fully remote quant roles remain relatively rare, given the collaborative, desk-based nature of much quant work — though fintech employers are the most likely to offer flexibility.Quant Analyst vs Quant Developer vs Quant Researcher
“Quant” spans three closely related but distinct roles, and pay differs across them. Understanding the distinction matters whether you’re hiring or benchmarking your own package.| Role | Typical base | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Analyst | £85,000–£150,000 | Pricing, risk and valuation models |
| Quantitative Developer | £90,000–£160,000 | Building and optimising the code/systems behind models |
| Quantitative Researcher | £100,000–£200,000+ | Designing trading strategies and alpha signals |
What Factors Affect Quantitative Analyst Salary?
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- Firm type. The biggest driver of total pay — prop-trading firms and hedge funds far outpay banks, asset managers and fintechs on total comp.
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- Bonus structure. Performance-linked bonuses can equal or exceed base salary; base alone understates the package.
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- Seniority and specialism. Researchers and senior quants command the highest bases; the step from analyst to senior is worth £40,000+.
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- Education and technical skill. A relevant PhD, plus strong programming (Python, C++) and machine-learning skills, materially lifts pay.
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- Asset class and desk. High-revenue desks (systematic trading, derivatives) pay more than support or risk functions.