Financial Analyst Career Guide
Your complete guide to becoming a Financial Analyst in New Zealand - from graduate roles to senior analyst positions
What is a Financial Analyst?
Financial Analysts in New Zealand evaluate investment opportunities, analyze financial data, and provide insights to support business decision-making. They work across various sectors including banking, investment management, corporate finance, and consulting.
This role combines technical skills in financial modeling and data analysis with business acumen to assess company performance, market trends, and investment opportunities.
Key Responsibilities
- Build and maintain financial models and forecasts
- Analyze financial statements and company performance
- Conduct industry and market research
- Prepare reports and presentations for management
- Support budgeting and planning processes
- Evaluate investment opportunities and risks
- Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Assist with M&A analysis and due diligence
Quick Facts
Types of Financial Analyst Roles
Corporate Financial Analyst
Salary: $70,000 - $120,000
- Work within companies to analyze internal performance
- Support budgeting, forecasting, and strategic planning
- Analyze departmental and project performance
- Common in large corporates and multinational companies
Investment Banking Analyst
Salary: $80,000 - $140,000
- Support M&A transactions and capital raising
- Build complex financial models
- Conduct industry and company research
- High intensity role with excellent exit opportunities
Equity Research Analyst
Salary: $75,000 - $130,000
- Analyze public companies and make investment recommendations
- Write research reports for institutional clients
- Build financial models and valuation analyses
- Present findings to fund managers and investors
Credit Analyst
Salary: $65,000 - $110,000
- Assess creditworthiness of borrowers
- Analyze financial statements and cash flows
- Support lending decisions in banks
- Monitor existing loan portfolios
Fund Management Analyst
Salary: $70,000 - $125,000
- Support portfolio managers with investment decisions
- Analyze fund performance and attribution
- Conduct due diligence on investment opportunities
- Work with KiwiSaver providers and asset managers
Risk Analyst
Salary: $70,000 - $120,000
- Identify and measure financial risks
- Develop risk models and stress testing
- Monitor regulatory compliance
- Support RBNZ reporting requirements
Financial Analyst Salary Guide NZ
Graduate Financial Analyst
- Fresh graduates with commerce/finance degrees
- Learning financial modeling and analysis
- Supporting senior analysts with data gathering
- Building foundational technical skills
Financial Analyst (2-4 years)
- Independent analysis and modeling
- Preparing reports for management
- Leading smaller projects and analysis
- Developing industry expertise
Senior Financial Analyst (4-7 years)
- Leading complex analysis and projects
- Mentoring junior team members
- Presenting to senior management
- Subject matter expertise in specific areas
Principal/Lead Analyst (7+ years)
- Managing teams of analysts
- Strategic planning and decision support
- Cross-functional leadership
- Pathway to finance manager roles
Factors Affecting Salary
Investment Banking: +20-40%
Consulting: +15-25%
Corporate: Baseline
Government: -5-15%
Auckland: +10-20%
Wellington: +5-15%
Christchurch: +0-5%
Regional: -10-20%
Advanced Excel/VBA: +$5-10k
SQL/Python: +$8-15k
CFA Progress: +$5-12k
Industry Specialization: +$10-20k
Essential Skills for Financial Analysts
Technical Skills
Advanced formulas, pivot tables, VBA, financial modeling
DCF models, LBO models, merger models, scenario analysis
Data extraction, manipulation, and analysis
Data visualization and dashboard creation
Advanced analytics, automation, machine learning
Financial Knowledge
P&L, balance sheet, cash flow analysis
DCF, comparable company analysis, precedent transactions
GAAP, IFRS, accounting standards
Macroeconomics, market dynamics, industry analysis
Credit risk, market risk, operational risk
Soft Skills
Written reports, presentations, stakeholder management
Accuracy in models and analysis, error checking
Meeting deadlines, managing multiple projects
Problem-solving, analytical reasoning
Educational Requirements & Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree (Essential)
Preferred Majors:
- Finance (most common)
- Economics
- Accounting
- Mathematics/Statistics
- Commerce/Business
- Engineering (for quantitative roles)
Top NZ Universities:
- University of Auckland - Commerce (Finance)
- Victoria University of Wellington - Commerce
- University of Canterbury - Commerce/Engineering
- University of Otago - Commerce
- AUT - Business
- Massey University - Business
Professional Qualifications (Highly Valued)
- CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) - Gold standard for analysts
- FRM (Financial Risk Manager) - For risk analyst roles
- CA ANZ - Strong for corporate finance roles
- CPA Australia - Accounting-focused analyst roles
Master's Degree (Advantageous)
- Master of Finance - Specialized finance knowledge
- MBA - Leadership and strategic thinking
- Master of Applied Finance - Practical finance skills
- Master of Economics - Quantitative analysis skills
Best Courses for Financial Analysts
CFA Institute
- CFA Level I, II, III - $1,450 per level
- Comprehensive curriculum covering all aspects of finance
- Globally recognized credential
- Strong employer preference
- Self-study with 300+ hours per level
Financial Modeling Institute
- Advanced Financial Modeling - $2,995
- LBO Modeling Masterclass - $1,995
- DCF Modeling Course - $1,495
- Hands-on Excel and modeling skills
- Industry-standard templates
Coursera
- Financial Markets (Yale) - $49/month
- Investment Management (University of Geneva) - $49/month
- Corporate Finance (Wharton) - $49/month
- Python for Financial Analysis - $49/month
- Financial Engineering and Risk Management (Columbia) - $49/month
Udemy
- Complete Financial Analyst Course - $99
- Advanced Excel for Finance - $84
- Financial Modeling and Valuation - $129
- Python for Finance - $94
- SQL for Data Analysis - $89
New Zealand Universities
- University of Auckland - Master of Commerce (Finance)
- Victoria University - Master of Applied Finance
- AUT - Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Finance
- Massey University - Master of Finance
- Part-time and online options available
Professional Development
- GARP - FRM Certification ($1,350)
- CFA Institute - Continuing Education
- New Zealand Society of Actuaries courses
- Bloomberg Terminal Training
- Industry conferences and workshops
Financial Analyst Career Progression
Graduate Analyst (0-2 years)
Salary: $55,000 - $70,000
- Data gathering and basic analysis
- Supporting senior analysts
- Learning financial modeling
- Building Excel and technical skills
Financial Analyst (2-4 years)
Salary: $70,000 - $95,000
- Independent analysis and modeling
- Report writing and presentations
- Project management responsibilities
- Specializing in specific areas
Senior Financial Analyst (4-7 years)
Salary: $90,000 - $125,000
- Leading complex projects
- Mentoring junior staff
- Client-facing responsibilities
- Strategic analysis and planning
Career Transition Options (7+ years)
Top Employers for Financial Analysts in NZ
Major Banks
- ANZ Bank - Corporate & institutional banking
- ASB Bank - Credit analysis and risk
- BNZ Bank - Corporate finance and treasury
- Westpac - Investment banking and research
- Kiwibank - Growing analyst teams
Investment Management
- Fisher Funds - Equity research and fund management
- Forsyth Barr - Research and investment advice
- Jarden - Investment banking and research
- Devon Funds - Fund management and analysis
- Craigs Investment Partners - Research and advisory
Corporate & Consulting
- Fonterra - Financial planning and analysis
- Spark New Zealand - Corporate finance
- Fletcher Building - Financial analysis and planning
- PwC - Financial advisory and consulting
- Deloitte - Corporate finance advisory
Government & Regulatory
- Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) - Economic analysis
- The Treasury - Economic and financial analysis
- Financial Markets Authority (FMA) - Market analysis
- New Zealand Super Fund - Investment analysis
- ACC - Investment and risk analysis
Current Financial Analyst Jobs
Find the latest Financial Analyst opportunities across New Zealand