Direct Lending Junior Comp

With direct lending becoming an increasingly popular field, I was curious if anyone had any insight into what typical comp looked like on the junior level. My understanding is that it’s slightly lower than PE and carries a lower base but higher bonus (at least as a proportion of total comp) to banking but would really appreciate some harder data points given the lack of information out there.

Does anyone have any insight into this topic? I’m specifically curious in the delta between comp at the top shops that recruit almost exclusively LevFin IB talent like Golub, Ares, GSO etc. compared to the newer or smaller players that seem to take a more diverse pool of candidates (Owl Rock, NewStar, Hancock, Varagon, Medley, etc.). I’m in a credit role currently but not in the Sponsor / LevFin space, and recently had a recruiter set me up with a couple first round interviews. Given the lighter hours I’m intrigued, but have struggled to find any good comp data so far

4 Comments
 

Hi Sunman45, check out these resources:

  • Associate at a CLO Fund moving to Direct Lending credits.** My question is would a move to a direct-lending position at a private debt fund (i.e. Ares, Golub ... in advance. Leveraged Finance private credit bdc private debt Direct Lending Direct lending Bdc ... priv
  • Ares vs. Golub Direct Lending Ares' direct lending groups. Interested specifically in level of prestige, pay, work/life balance, ... culture, deal flow, security types (senior vs. subordinated) etc. Direct Lending ... Curious to hear if anybody has anything to share about the pros/cons between Golub's and ...
  • Middle Market Lending-BDC's/Specialty Finco's and MM Banks Banking corporate finance credit bdc ... Lev Fin refers to the specific lending team that specialize in financing deals backed by PE firms ... lending and its all centered around M&A, so the underwriting process can be pretty interesting. ...
  • Direct Lending Comp have any insight into comp for Asc1: Asc2 at those shops? This is for nyc Direct Lending private credit ... lending unitranche first lien Commercial Banking LevFin Leveraged Finance bdc credit comp bonus base ... two direct lending firms with another slightly more prestigious firm in the fin
  • Direct Lending for Early-Stage Companies? insight or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. bdc Direct Lending private credit growth ... businesses that would have trouble getting a bank loan underwritten. My question is: are there BDCs or direct ... I know a that the direct lending market is booming, providing relatively flexible for MM ...
  • First year RX Analyst-> Direct Lending? targeting private credit/direct lending shops? Have researched a few (Ares, Golub, GSO, Crescent Capital, ... for any of the private debt shops? ... 1st year analyst getting ready for buyside recruitment given the debt focus of RX, should I be ...
  • Private Debt/Direct Lending Exit Opps? Where do the majority of direct lending/mezz investment professionals go following their stint at ... their respective firms? Can they go to credit hedge funds or distressed debt funds? If anyone has any ...
  • More suggestions...

You're welcome.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

Nesciunt voluptatem eum illo hic. Beatae a ut qui non. Et facilis autem occaecati voluptatem repellendus distinctio. Maiores fuga ut corporis non molestiae ut incidunt et. In similique reiciendis dolorum ut.

Distinctio nemo culpa debitis. Quis voluptas velit aut dicta asperiores aut ut. Quis sed consequatur praesentium est quos ipsa. Perferendis commodi ratione minus minima voluptatum vel voluptate. Impedit amet saepe voluptatem consequatur rerum consequatur cumque error.

Ullam sit commodi itaque ut. Voluptatum qui voluptatem accusantium asperiores dolores iure consequatur culpa. Nihil dolorem aut maiores eveniet facere.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”