Two Sigma Investments is a leading hedge fund and investment management company that offers a competitive salary and benefits package to its employees. The average salary for a Two Sigma Investments employee is around $124,000 per year, according to data from the company.
Two Sigma Investments offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement savings, and paid time off. Employees can also participate in the company's 401(k) matching program, which matches 50% of employee contributions up to 6% of their salary.
The company's salary and benefits package is designed to attract and retain top talent in the industry. With a strong focus on employee satisfaction and well-being, Two Sigma Investments aims to provide a supportive and inclusive work environment for its employees.
A fresh viewpoint: Dollar Cost Averaging Benefits
Two Sigma Salary and Benefits
Two Sigma's median salary is a whopping $186,000, with 43% of salaries above $200,000 and 47% between $150,000 and $200,000. The company's median salary ranges from $120,000 for Data Analysts to $210,000 for Quantitative Researchers.
The most common job titles at Two Sigma include Software Engineer, Quantitative Researcher, and Data Scientist, with median salaries of $184,500, $210,000, and $172,500 respectively. The company has a strong presence in New York, with 605 records showing a median salary of $190,000.
Here's a breakdown of Two Sigma's median salaries by location:
Two Sigma's salaries have been steadily increasing over the years, with a median salary of $175,000 in 2020 and $220,000 in 2023.
Compensation Levels
The median salary for Two Sigma employees is a whopping $186,000, based on 654 records. This is a significant figure, and it's interesting to note that 43% of the salaries are above $200,000.
The breakdown of salaries by job title is quite telling. For example, the median salary for a Software Engineer is $184,500, while a Quantitative Researcher can expect to earn a median salary of $210,000.
Here's a rough breakdown of the salary distribution by job title:
- Software Engineer: $184,500 (244 records)
- Quantitative Researcher: $210,000 (174 records)
- Quantitative Software Engineer: $209,000 (40 records)
- Data Scientist: $172,500 (26 records)
- Data Analyst: $120,000 (15 records)
- Systems Support Engineer: $127,000 (9 records)
It's worth noting that the median salary for employees in New York is $190,000, based on 605 records. This is significantly higher than the median salary for employees in other cities, such as Houston ($130,000) and Durham ($90,000).
The median salary for Two Sigma employees has been steadily increasing over the years. For example, in 2022, the median salary was $200,000, while in 2021 it was $184,000.
Hours, Lifestyle, Culture
Working at a quant fund like Two Sigma can be demanding, with weekly hours extending up to 60-70+ per week, depending on market conditions.
The average is closer to 50-60 per week, and you'll be busy throughout the day with little downtime.
Unlike some tech companies, where the culture is relaxed and collaborative, quant funds tend to be more cutthroat and competitive.
In fact, there may be a lot of "siloing", where teams don't share ideas or insights.
You're there to make as much money as possible, not to socialize with coworkers or do minimal work.
Fund Recruiting Process
The fund recruiting process can be a wild ride. Firms that use on-campus recruiting follow a standard process, which usually starts with an online test.
You can expect to move on to HireVue or phone interviews, and then be scheduled for back-to-back interviews with several full-timers. Experienced candidates often go around in circles interviewing with funds indefinitely.
For another approach, see: Series B Investment
If you're not getting a clear decision time frame, it may be a sign that the fund is more interested in getting new strategies than in hiring you. Many quant funds don't necessarily want to hire anyone, but they always want to get new ideas.
So, be prepared for a wide range of math, probability, and statistics questions during the interview process. Here are some recommended resources to help you prepare:
- Quant Trading Primer by Max Dama for an overview of the key topics.
- Heard on the Street for interview questions.
- Cracking the Coding Interview for practice programming exercises.
- Elements of Statistical Learning
- Advances in Financial Machine Learning (though this one might be a bit too advanced for an internship).
- High-Frequency Trading – This one covers common quant strategies.
Two Sigma Investment Insights
Two Sigma Investments is a top quant fund that attracts high-paying jobs, with a median salary of $185,000 in 2021.
The company's H1B salary data shows that 30% of employees earn above $200K, with software engineers and quantitative researchers being among the highest paid.
Here's a breakdown of the median salaries for various roles at Two Sigma Investments:
- SOFTWARE ENGINEER Median $190,000
- QUANTITATIVE RESEARCHER Median $184,000
- QUANTITATIVE SOFTWARE ENGINEER Median $186,000
- DATA SCIENTIST Median $172,500
Two Sigma Investments has offices in several major cities, with New York being the highest paying location, with a median salary of $185,000.
The Top Funds
Two Sigma is often mentioned alongside other top quant funds, including D.E. Shaw, Renaissance, and Citadel. These firms are known for their impressive track records and cutting-edge approaches to investing.
Some of the larger quant funds, like Bridgewater, do more than just quantitative investing, so they're not strictly dedicated quant funds. Bridgewater, for example, has over $140 billion in assets under management and 1,500 employees.
The top quant funds include some that are more focused on market-making or prop trading, such as Jane Street, Hudson River Trading, and IMC. These firms often require advanced degree holders, such as Ph.D.'s.
Two Sigma is known for hiring undergrads, which can be a great option for those looking to break into the industry. The firm's focus on math and coding challenges can make the work more interesting than traditional banking roles.
Here's a list of some of the top quant funds:
- D.E. Shaw
- Renaissance
- Two Sigma
- Citadel
- AQR
- Point72 (formerly SAC)
- Quantitative Management Associates
- AlphaSimplex
- Capula
- PanAgora
- Acadian
- Man Group
- Millennium
- Bridgewater
Keep in mind that some of these firms may have different requirements or cultures, so it's worth doing your research before applying.
Aqr
AQR is a quant fund that manages a significant amount of assets, roughly $143 billion, and hires foreign workers for various roles.
Financial analysts at AQR make about $125,000 in base salary. This is a relatively high average salary for this position.
The firm also pays financial quantitative analysts at the associate level around $150,000 in base salary, which is a notable increase from the base salary of financial analysts.
AQR has used H-1B visas to hire software developers, including vice-president level systems software developers who earn a little over $190,000.
Vice-presidents in applications software development at AQR earn just over $175,000 on average, which is a significant salary for this role.
Discover more: Efficient Frontier Software
Featured Images: pexels.com