Associates now make 150k base. How does that compare to buy side roles? It seems competitive with top LOs
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It's as simple as...1. Do you have a path to coverage and an understanding of when that will happen with your DOR?
If you end up being the guy who's been a sell-side associate for 5-6+ years it's unlikely you ever get coverage, it's harder to lateral to a buy-side role because you've siloed yourself as a sell-side guy and this isn't a role that lends itself particularly well to many industry functions besides IR. Sticking around too long without career progression is only a bad thing.
By no means an expert on this, but the guys I know working on the sell-side are constantly under the pump and generally seem fairly stressed out. In contrast, friends on the buy side (at least LO AM) seem to have much better work life balance and are generally happier.
Associates at what shops make 150k base?
yea id like to know.. no way first years are making 150k. maybe he means 3rd years..
He obviously means associate by rank rather than "research associate".
Corporate title. 3 years as analyst, 3 years at associate, 3 years at vp etc
If current pay is your concern unfortunately ss ER associates make more from my experience. Buy side firms know it’s a more desirable job and are therefore able to pay less
Bigass Kap. Depends on firm, seniority, and performance. You can get more on sellside in your junior years (if we exclude the top paying firms like p72), but you also work a lot more which doesn’t balance out on a $/hour. When you make it to covering analyst/analyst that makes independent recommendations on the buyside, which is much more common to obtain than becoming a publishing sellside analyst at an equally reputable firm, then you start getting into the mid 6 figures which fluctuates based on performance metrics (individual and firmwide). Also, you still work less than an associate at a top ranked analyst.
Source - I’ve been on the sellside and learned comp #’s and hours direct from source, either friends working/received offers or received offers of my own.
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