Please don't spout nonsense here.
Please name the firm which pays ~300k for a fresh grad for a quant position.

Quant fresh grads here refer to those with phd's in finance or masters of financial engineering from top tier unis, not those average finance programmes in smu, nus, ntu.

Don't have a false sense of high hopes guys.

The real quants who stick in the world of high finance have bonuses easily exceeding 500k in good years, many people in sg seem to think any tom dick harry with a masters in applied finance /CFA that is doing some analytical work in a bank is called "quant".

Glassdoor salaries for d e shaw ard usd 135K

Wow, I think my comment to the questioner is not to read this thread - everyone is pretty clueless here. You're better of asking this to someone in your university recruitment centre.

Erm, that figure is a bit low.

Ya, wikipedia says " As of 2013, Goldman Sachs employed 31,700 people worldwide.[39] In 2013, the firm reported earnings of US$9.34 billion and record earnings per share of $160.66.[47] It was reported that the average total compensation per employee in 2006 was US$622,000. "

$622,000 per employee, imagine what quants get given this info.

Guys, let me shed some light on this matter from someone who is actually a quant (not risk management but quantitative trading) and actually knows about the companies and the figures.

From the top US school I graduated from, my room mates were seeking these sort of jobs. Some of them got it, straight from graduation, with high but not that exorbitant starting salaries.

(figures roughly converted to SGD$ for easy comparison.)

The highest salary someone coming straight out of undergraduate and working as a quant - $150,000. The place is Jane Street. First hand knowledge.

That straight out of PhD - I would guess $220,000 is doable. The place is Renaissance Technologies.

So why all this skepticism that these numbers are fake? Simply because most Singaporeans are not tuned into the quant scene outside Singapore. I'm thankful for my adventures in a top school where you are surrounded with this sort of talent that is worth this kind of money.

When you are fighting with this sort of talent, it's not longer a matter of getting a first class. It's a matter of how well you can marry computer science, math and finance together.

-Donny

The problem most fresh grads have is they are so stuck in their limited job hunting experience in low end jobs in MNCs paying <10k that they automatically just refuse to believe there are fresh grads who can make few hundred thousand USD annual.

Saw this for those who might be interested:

Macquarie hiring:

We are looking for a front-office Quantitative Analyst to join a team dedicated to developing and maintaining the quantitative capabilities across FICC. The role is based in Singapore, and has a primary focus on the global FX businesses.

The responsibilities of the Quantitative Analyst will be to:

Develop and maintain our quantitative modelling library;
Research and implement financial models for derivative valuation;
Work closely with traders, structurers, and marketers, providing quantitative support;
Liaise with other areas of the bank on model development and approval.
We are seeking a candidate with:

One to four years of experience as a front office quant;
Outstanding academic achievements, with a PhD in a quantitative discipline (e.g. mathematics, physics or engineering);
Strong knowledge of FX products, both vanilla & exotics;
Good written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work autonomously and under pressure;
Excellent programming skills - experience with C++ and Python will be advantageous.