Investment Banking Salary/Pay Reality

Career Opportunities & Internships Investment Banking
1

<p>I've read many times on these forums that Investment Banking can lead you to a six-figure income within just a few years of work. I decided to look at GlassDoor.com, a website where real company employees post their pay/salary/bonuses/commission.</p>

<p>Goldman</a> Sachs Salaries | Glassdoor.com</p>

<p>That is the link to the Goldman Sachs one, how come most salaries for the most common positions, Analyst, aren't that high?</p>

<p>Does anybody here personally work at an IB firm and can provide us with some help?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

2

<p>Those are averages across all departments. They are also averages of the the people who chose to post their salaries. On its face, it looks like high salaried individuals choose not to share their info… If they even have the time. It’s not very scientific.</p>

3

<p>What title do you get as an entry level investment banking position?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

4

<p>

Analyst -> Associate -> Vice President -> Managing Director -> Exec. -> Mafia -> CEO</p>

<p>Just kidding about the mafia… :aware:</p>

5

<p>Are you able to make a good income if you join a different division of investment banking? For example, if I were to join Goldman Sachs as a Technology Analyst?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

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<p>You can still make good money, but not nearly as much as you would in banking or trading.</p>

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<p>Working in tech you don’t really have the bonus upside when compared to FO.</p>

<p>Btw, most banks you’ll make 6 figures as a first year.</p>

8

<p>Out of undergrad or with an MBA?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

9

<p>Undergrad.</p>

10

<p>Where do you get that data thought? As I mentioned in my post:</p>

<p>[Goldman</a> Sachs Salaries | Glassdoor.com](<a href=“http://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Goldman-Sachs-Salaries-E2800.htm]Goldman”>http://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Goldman-Sachs-Salaries-E2800.htm)</p>

<p>Doesn’t show many 100K salaries for the analyst position… I understand technology and operations analyst don’t make as much and bring the average down, but there’s very few reported salaries over 100K.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

11

<p>It’s self-reported so there could be any number of biases. The high bonus was 15k, which is puny, even if this was peak of financial crisis.</p>

<p>I’m just telling you, lowball estimate as a first year now would be something like:</p>

<p>70k Salary + 10k Signing + 30k Discretionary = 110k</p>

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<p>Well you’ll likely make 60-70K salary with a very nice bonus pushing you past six figures.</p>

13

<p>You can’t take a single website that compiles self-reported salaries across an IB (not just within the IB groups) and assume that it is 100% correct. If you work in investment banking (not the tech side, mid office or back office, but front office investment banking - M&A, Lev Fin, industry group, etc), you will make $60-80k base a $10k sign on (usually) and then an annual bonus as a 1st year analyst out of undergrad. An associate starts at $90-110 base. There are always exceptions to these figures - some could sign on for more, some less, depending on bank (small boutique, etc vs BB and elite boutique). </p>

<p>IBanker</p>

14

<p>I see, I know its hard to trust just one site but that site has been mentioned by Yahoo and has been mentioned to be accurate. At the same time, there’s over 800 salaries posted for Goldman Sachs so it is a pretty large sample.</p>

<p>So the starting role would either be a financial or business analyst?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

15

<p>What your doing here is looking at a weather forecast that says “Currently Sunny.” You then call outside to people, who then tell you its raining, but you reply “but the report says it’s sunny outside, it’s well respected by the web-community.” </p>

<p>For God’s sake just listen to us we work in the industry lol.</p>

16

<p>The starting role to which you are referring (if you are still referring to IB) would be an investment banking analyst (out of U Grad) and an investment banking associate (if out of B school) in a particular group (such as M&A, consumer and retail, financial institutions, leveraged finance, etc).</p>

<p>IBanker</p>

17

<p>Analyst is 70-80-90 now.</p>

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<p>C-Revs, I do listen and that is why I asked if anybody here had any first-hand experience or currently works in the industry… I simply thought that wasn’t the case because this is a college forum.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

19

<p>alverez, it says average for IB analyst is 65k but most people who post do not include their bonus/benefits/sign on. I wouldn’t say I make 100k if my salary is only 85k and I get a 15k sign on bonus. I’d say I make 85.</p>

20

<p>The website you linked to has 227 posted GS analyst salaries, yet only 4 posted a bonus, and the range for those 4 is $5-15k. Even in the midst of our current economy, no first-year IB analyst gets a $5-15k bonus at GS. </p>

<p>Go to WallStreetOasis and do a search on their forum for typical first-year analyst bonuses at a BB. I believe that it’s around 15-30k.</p>