Compensation for Canadian investment professionals is at its lowest point in five years, according to the 2003 Investment Management Compensation Survey conducted by the Association for Investment Management and Research and executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates. The report was released Thursday.

Overall 2003 median total compensation for Canada-based professionals is $116,000, representing a 28% decline from 2001 ($161,000) and a 24% decline from 1999 ($153,000). While base salaries remained fairly constant, much of the drop in incentive compensation can be attributed to median cash bonuses falling about 56% from $45,000 in 2001 to $20,000 in 2003.

These findings are from an extensive global survey of investment professionals that examines the compensation of CEOs, chief investment officers, portfolio managers, securities analysts, pension officers and other senior-level investment professionals at an array of investment management and financial service organizations. The 2003 survey compares compensation data with the 1999 and 2001 studies.

“The drop in Canadian compensation levels is sobering news for the investment management industry,” said Shawn Cooper, executive director and head of the Canadian financial services practice, Russell Reynolds Associates.

Concurrent with the steep decline in overall compensation, Canada now finds itself ranked second-last among the countries surveyed – behind the United Kingdom, United States, Japan, Switzerland and Hong Kong. Canada is ranked in last place after Singapore when measured by the compensation of professionals with 5+ and 10+ years of experience.

“When you consider the size, depth and maturity of Canada’s investment management industry relative to some of the other countries studied, Canada’s poor ranking is unexpected,” remarked Cooper. “Especially given that the Canadian economy has performed better than elsewhere.”

The survey also revealed across-the-board declines in cash compensation among all investment sectors and job functions. Investment professionals at securities brokers/dealers experienced the sharpest drop in compensation, driven primarily by lower cash compensation. Employees at these firms saw their median compensation decline 40% from $225,000 in 2001 to $135,000 in 2003.

Survey findings indicated a noteworthy shift in the manner in which bonuses are determined. Over the last two years, organizational profitability has had a more significant impact on the way investment professionals are compensated than in past years. In fact, 66% of those surveyed reported that their firm’s profitability has the most significant impact on their bonus.

In an attempt to test perceptions, Canadian investment management professionals were asked if they felt they were fairly compensated and their views are in line with reality. Forty-eight per cent of investment professionals felt they were fairly compensated, while half felt they were underpaid and just 2% believe they were overpaid.

Those who feel they were overpaid in fact earn an overwhelming 82% more than the total median compensation, and those who feel they were underpaid earn 13% less than the median and earn the least in all three compensation categories.

The results of the 2003 Investment Management Compensation Survey are based on survey responses from nearly 16,500 AIMR members (2,183 in Canada) compiled by Wirthlin Worldwide, an independent market research firm.

Surveys were conducted during the first quarter of 2003. In addition to Canada, AIMR members in the United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland and Japan were polled making this the most extensive survey of its kind in the investment management industry.