Graduates looking for the best-paying jobs in financial services would once head straight to investment banks, but that is no longer where the brightest juniors can earn the most, according to new figures.

An analysis of the pay packets of almost 2,000 UK graduates by the salary benchmarking site Emolument.com found that quantitative analysts working in asset management can command the highest pay straight out of university, with starting salaries of £65,000 and average bonuses of £20,000.