Sell Side Analyst Comp vs. Buy Side

I'm looking for a little guidance on how I should view a sell side analyst position. I currently work in business development (report directly to ceo) for a tech startup that had a successful IPO within the last 2 years and have been there for 3 years. Before this I worked at a 400m hedge fund for 2 years (full time during college). The company is becoming too big for my taste and I'm thinking about going back into finance. I know all of the sell side guys in my industry personally from the IPO days and talking to them now about a switch.

My goal is to work at a tech hedge fund as an analyst, but I'm willing to do sell side research if it will make the switch to a hedge fund easier (and if it pays well)

Questions... How much does a research analyst (jr level, but not associate) make total comp at a big bank?

How easy/hard is it to switch from sell side to a hedge fund? Some people I talk to on the buy side say they would never hire sell side people and some say the opposite. I want to get a few more opinions.

thanks.

6 Comments
 

Buy-side salaries vary greatly depending on the characteristics of the fund (size, fee structure, investment focus, etc.) so you won't get a straight answer. A junior associate (titles are reversed from banking) at a BB on the other hand should expect to get the same base pay as other entry level front-office positions, so 70K. The bonus is what differs. I've heard anywhere from 20% to 50%, maybe more maybe less depending on the economy.

The switch from sell-side research to a long/short fund happens all the time. If you search the forum, this is the most commonly stated career path for someone starting out as a sell-side analyst with intentions of making the transition later on.

I haven't had a carb since 2004.
 

DunderMifflinCEO's numbers are too low. Check out glassdoor. Also, I think it was M&I or here that had an article on the sell-side and a range of salaries. It was 50k-90k base and 10% to 50% bonus and that was for an associate level position. BB's would be higher on the base range and bonus would be determined indirectly by experience and knowledge of your sector (which enables you to help the sales team and clients more).

As for buy-side, I am not sure. I wouldn't be surprised if base was vary similar to the sell-side and various based on the size of the firm. I imagine bonuses would be determined based on the performance of the fund.

 

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