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Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's what you need to know about compensation in Corporate Development (Corp Dev) after 2 years in Investment Banking (IB) or Private Equity (PE):

  1. Typical Compensation:

    • Base Salary: Generally ranges from $115,000 to $170,000 depending on the industry, size of the firm, and location.
    • Total Compensation: For senior associate or senior manager roles, total compensation can range from $200,000 to $275,000, with base salaries around $165,000.
  2. All-in Compensation at $200k:

    • Yes, it is possible to achieve an all-in compensation of $200,000 in Corp Dev. Senior associate or senior manager roles often see total compensation in this range.
  3. Scaling to Mid-6 Figures:

    • As you move up the hierarchy, compensation can scale significantly:
      • Mid-level Managers: $125,000 to $150,000 base salary, with bonuses and stock options taking total compensation above $200,000.
      • Senior Managers: Total compensation above $200,000, with significant bonuses and stock options.
      • Directors/Sr. Directors: $300,000 to $500,000 per year.
      • General Managers: $500,000 to $2 million per year.
      • VPs: $2 million to $5 million per year.
      • C-Level Executives: $5 million+ per year.

This information should give you a comprehensive view of what to expect in terms of compensation in Corporate Development after a stint in IB or PE.

Sources: What level in Corp Dev after 2 years banking + 2 years PE?, Corporate Development: My Experiences and Background, Post MBA Corp-Dev/Strat, Got Corp Dev Offer - Compensation?, Corp Dev Salary Packages

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

There is too much variability to give you any good answer. 

- High tier tech firm (Google, Apple, etc.) you might get there? Although im not sure you get stock at the Assoc. level so that would knock you out of the 200k all in bracket. 

- At an acquisitive portco you're probably looking at 150K all in for a "manager" role which is possible out of a couple years in IB

- Anywhere else you're probably looking at 120-140k all in pending geography (1XXK base 10-20% bonus)

AS for scaling to mid 6 figures? Definitely possible if you can move up the chain but every move gets harder and the exits to other business areas (FP&A, ERM, Product ownership, etc.) gets more attractive for salary scaling purposes

 

So its a couple things:

1) FP&A groups (and really most traditional finance departments) tend to have larger teams and more extensive hierarchy and more employees at each level. This helps to create a straightforward and open path for promotions.

2) After some time in strategy/M&A it can create a really attractive set of skills that commands higher pay. If you go to a $100 - $200M annual revenue company, they might not have a dedicated M&A team and likely don't have a C-suite rep from corp. dev but may have those people roll up into a VP of finance which means you're handling not only FP&A/Reporting, but also M&A. So that commands a higher salary and those positions are much more numerous.

3) CFO track provides far more opportunities.

My comment should be viewed as details on salary scaling not only in terms of dollars themselves, but the opportunity to actually earn those dollars. In this case, getting a traditional finance background alongside a history of M&A and strategy is far more attractive than just strat/M&A itself

 

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