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How to become a Fund Manager

Manages the investment of funds at investment trust companies, investment advisory firms, institutional investors and other asset managers.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular education or qualification is required for this job, but in practice many fund managers graduated from economics or commerce faculties, and science students are also hired. If you want to be a fund manager, the main employers are independent asset managers such as investment trust companies and investment advisory firms, trust banks and insurance companies. Asset managers rarely recruit new graduates directly as fund managers; people usually start as an analyst's assistant, become analysts and then move into fund management. Foreign-owned asset managers in particular hire almost no new graduates and usually hire mid-career people with a strong record at Japanese asset managers. It is said to take about two years to reach the level of designing your own fund with reference to existing funds and managing it largely on your own; this level is called junior fund manager. Fund managers who have their own funds and take full responsibility, right up to explaining them to clients and winning their business, are called senior fund managers. Reaching senior level takes more than 10 years of experience, and most fund managers are aged from their mid-30s to their 40s. It is a specialist job that can be done the same way at another firm, so there is a lot of potential for changing jobs. Job changes are most common at junior level, motivated by higher pay or more authority, or by differences in firms' investment policies and styles. A related qualification is the private Chartered Member of the Securities Analysts Association of Japan (CMA), which almost all fund managers hold. It is effectively essential, and it is best to gain it while still a junior employee. Investment sense comes first, but research and analytical skills, the ability to understand analysts' work accurately, communication skills with investee companies and clients, planning skills and the ability to explain to clients are also essential. Work is basically done in teams, so cooperation and leadership are needed. You also follow developments overseas, so language skills are essential. And because you move large sums of money, you need mental toughness.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Fund Manager?

No particular education or qualification is required for this job, but in practice many fund managers graduated from economics or commerce faculties, and science students are also hired. If you want to be a fund manager, the main employers are independent asset managers such as investment trust companies and investment advisory firms, trust banks and insurance companies. Asset managers rarely recruit new graduates directly as fund managers; people usually start as an analyst's assistant, become analysts and then move into fund management. Foreign-owned asset managers in particular hire almost no new graduates and usually hire mid-career people with a strong record at Japanese asset managers. It is said to take about two years to reach the level of designing your own fund with reference to existing funds and managing it largely on your own; this level is called junior fund manager. Fund managers who have their own funds and take full responsibility, right up to explaining them to clients and winning their business, are called senior fund managers. Reaching senior level takes more than 10 years of experience, and most fund managers are aged from their mid-30s to their 40s. It is a specialist job that can be done the same way at another firm, so there is a lot of potential for changing jobs. Job changes are most common at junior level, motivated by higher pay or more authority, or by differences in firms' investment policies and styles. A related qualification is the private Chartered Member of the Securities Analysts Association of Japan (CMA), which almost all fund managers hold. It is effectively essential, and it is best to gain it while still a junior employee. Investment sense comes first, but research and analytical skills, the ability to understand analysts' work accurately, communication skills with investee companies and clients, planning skills and the ability to explain to clients are also essential. Work is basically done in teams, so cooperation and leadership are needed. You also follow developments overseas, so language skills are essential. And because you move large sums of money, you need mental toughness.

How much does a Fund Manager earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥11,346,400 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Other management, finance and insurance professionals, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Fund Manager?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 83% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Fund Manager?

Generative AI could change many tasks in this job, which usually reshapes the work more than it replaces it, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026