How long does it to make $1 MM in sell-side?

Assume you start at a FO position at a BB fresh out of college, receives industry average pay (proportional to your years of experience), and doesn't get sacked. In other words, you follow a very average, mediocre career path. Assuming the lifestyle is not lavish, how long does it take to save up to $1MM in your account?

 

What city does this hypothetical banker live in? Is it a high cost of living city like New York or London? Or is it a lower cost of living city? How about taxes? A banker in Hong Kong is going to pay much less tax vs. the banker in those aforementioned two cities. Is this hypothetical banker married? Does he eventually have children? (Children are expensive, and he would need to move into a bigger house. What about schooling fees for those children?) Even if his lifestyle is "not lavish," you can't reasonably expect someone at the vice president level to still be sharing an apartment with roommates or live in a studio apartment by himself.

Obviously, if you take a very extreme example (a career banker who lives like a monk and never marries and has no interests outside of work and continues to live in a tiny studio apartment for $2000 a month in New York City), than perhaps one could envision this hypothetical banker with $1 million saved up in his early 30s, but in real life that doesn't happen very often.

 
Best Response

Cupiditate nostrum alias et voluptatum laudantium veniam consectetur. Ea quis a sapiente impedit est possimus eaque. Autem eius eveniet eum voluptatem deserunt accusantium earum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (145) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”