Mergers & Acquisitions Analyst to Investment Analyst

Summary: 2 of the 6 core skills listed for Investment Analyst carry over directly from Mergers & Acquisitions Analyst, and 1 more build on related experience. The US median salary changes by -39% ($155K → $95K). Difficulty: Moderate, typically around 6 months of focused upskilling.

The two roles

Mergers & Acquisitions Analyst: Supports M&A deals.

Investment Analyst: Research and analyze investment opportunities, providing recommendations to portfolio managers and clients. Growth outlook +6%; AI-augmented (AI changes how the work is done, not whether it exists). Typical education: bachelor. Typical experience: 1-4 years.

Skills that carry over

• Financial Modeling
• Valuation

Builds on related experience

• Equity Research — builds on M&A Analysis

Skills to learn for Investment Analyst

• Industry Analysis
• Report Writing
• Excel

Salary comparison (median, estimated)

Salary figures are estimates benchmarked against public compensation data — see methodology.

Next steps

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Related

Mergers & Acquisitions Analyst career guide | Investment Analyst career guide

Other transitions to consider

• Mergers & Acquisitions Analyst to Investment Banker — 5 of the core skills carry over
• Mergers & Acquisitions Analyst to Venture Capital Analyst — 4 of the core skills carry over
• Mergers & Acquisitions Analyst to Financial Analyst — 2 of the core skills carry over
• Mergers & Acquisitions Analyst to Private Equity Associate — 4 of the core skills carry over
• Financial Analyst to Investment Analyst — 4 of the core skills carry over
• Energy Analyst to Investment Analyst — 5 of the core skills carry over
• Investment Banker to Investment Analyst — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Equities Trader to Investment Analyst — 3 of the core skills carry over