certification
CFA Level I
CFA Institute
$1,290
exam fee · checked 2026-08
300 hrs
300 hours — about 30 weeks at 10 hrs/wk
CFA Institute — official page →
Where it is actually asked for
- Financial and Investment Analyst (national)17%4 of 23 postings
Where it barely came up
It appeared in these samples, but rarely. If one of these is the job you want, this credential is probably not the thing standing between you and it.
- Computer Network Architect (national)4%1 of 24 postings
- Accountant or Auditor (national)4%1 of 28 postings
- Financial Manager in San Francisco4%1 of 28 postings
- Management Analyst (national)3%2 of 60 postings
- Financial Manager (national)3%2 of 79 postings
These percentages describe the samples we read, listed above with their sizes and dates. They are not a statement about the whole labour market, and absence from this page means we have no evidence either way — not that the credential is worthless. How we know →