Junior High Finance (IB/PE) vs MBB compensation
High finance traditionnal junior career path : 2 years IB + 2 years PE
Source: Peak Frameworks
Edit: IB comp seem low actually considering the recent compensation bumps.
High finance traditionnal junior career path : 2 years IB + 2 years PE
Source: Peak Frameworks
Edit: IB comp seem low actually considering the recent compensation bumps.
Career Resources
WSO Virtual Bootcamps
Career Advancement Opportunities
June 2026 Consulting
Overall Employee Satisfaction
June 2026 Consulting
Professional Growth Opportunities
June 2026 Consulting
Total Avg Compensation
June 2026 Consulting
“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”
Leaderboard
| 1 | 99.2 | |
| 2 | 99.0 | |
| 3 | 99.0 | |
| 4 | 99.0 | |
| 5 | 98.9 | |
| 6 | 98.9 | |
| 7 | 98.9 | |
| 8 | 98.9 | |
| 9 | 98.9 | |
| 10 | 98.8 |
“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
1. These are not salary comparisons, these are TC comparisons. No 3rd analyst in IB or first year associate in PE is getting paid $275 base.
2. IB/PE (at least the reputable ones) beats MBB in comp every step of the way. There really is no comparison.
Yes it's total comp obviously.
It's total comp for the finance track and approx. base for the consulting track. Not apples to apples at all. (Plus undergrad base is now $100k and MBA base is now $175k, so this is low even before bonus).
Consulting comp also varies substantially by performance. Top-performing MBB consultant can be something like $140 -> $180 -> $250 -> $330 -> $450+. Of course, that's a top ~10% who decides to stick it out to AP and doesn't go to business school, which itself is rare.
Obviously, IB -> PE pays more on average and at each percentile of performance, but hopefully people aren't picking MBB purely to max comp.
I had a blast in consulting and was top of my cohort probably across NA and then went to PE and was pretty meh at it and did not like it. I regret choosing a career path based on compensation rather than on WLB (which consulting offered relative to PE) and how much I liked the work.
Did you choose a well known UMM who’s founder was an ex consultant, or one of the toxic ass MF PE spots that put the “mf” in MF?
Tempore eaque facilis maxime. Adipisci voluptas ad asperiores corrupti ullam.
Nulla dolor et iure in molestiae consectetur impedit. Aliquam expedita laboriosam quo eos nobis cumque. Ut expedita molestiae a enim natus rerum libero ea. Qui atque autem fugiat corporis aut rem voluptatem magni.
Consequatur soluta doloremque laborum sequi delectus. Ducimus facere pariatur neque.
Ut rerum assumenda doloribus quae provident assumenda animi. Architecto ex nesciunt eos. Sint alias molestiae unde voluptas. Expedita doloremque dolor et tempore culpa facilis magnam adipisci.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...