STEM PhD wanting to do life sciences equity research, is CFA necessary?

Hi all, I'm an international Ph.D. (chemistry major, had some experiences with start-up of a medical device) wanting to find equity research jobs in the USA in the life sciences field. I'm wondering: 

(1) do equity research positions typically sponsor h1b visa

(2) for life sciences ER, is a CFA necessary? How much more helpful would it be? 

(3) I'd love to connect with people going through similar stuff! 

Thank you!

4 Comments
 
Most Helpful

(2) for life sciences ER, is a CFA necessary? How much more helpful would it be?

I’ll comment on this one based off what I’ve seen of the biotech team at my bank and from what they’ve said during “water cooler conversations.” Going on LinkedIn and searching “biotech equity research” may help you get an idea of common backgrounds as well. 

The CFA isn’t necessary but it could help (no guarantees). If you’re breaking in from grad school or a post doc, completing at least one level of the CFA will show interest in finance and may signal that you may be able to get through the Series exams in less time. It probably gets more incrementally important the more senior you are just to have an additional selling point if you shop your resume around. Most of the biotech equity research team members have an advanced science degree, such as yourself. 

 

Ex possimus odit quam dignissimos. Autem nihil dolor consequatur non dolores. Ab voluptatem exercitationem inventore sed officia ut natus aut. Voluptatum vel est fuga harum. Alias et eligendi quis dolor non ut modi et. Earum iure molestiae exercitationem enim illo rerum qui.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (65) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”