I was wondering if anyone knows of a few good MBA programs that would help jump-start a career in equity research. Any programs that are heavily recruited by asset management firms? Additionally, how long does it take to move from equity research to fund manager?
HBS, Wharton, Univ. of Chicago, Northwestern, Stanford, Dartmouth… Basically, get into the best school you possibly can. I’m not aware of equity research jobs being shopped at second tier business schools. As for the move from equity research to fund manager? It would really depend on the employer and your skill level. Some employ career analysts and only some ever make the transition to PM. And some people spend 10+ years in equity research before making the jump. Others might allow a transition to a junior PM role in 3 - 5 years if you’re good.
What kind of salary could one expect for a position like 1st yr junior Portfolio manager (assuming a bigger city like San Francisco)?
I’m not sure what you mean. If you go into equity research at the analyst level (post-MBA from a good school) on the buy-side, you’d probably earn around $100K +/- starting out, with 60-75% bonus. It would depend greatly on the employer when/if you could be a junior PM (and what level that REALLY is). I’ve seen job listings for assistant/junior PM paying only $60 - 80K per year, where the job itself is lower level than equity research.