HF vs IB

I’ve been thinking of either moving to a HF after 2-3 years of IB or going straight into a HF after graduation (I know it’s nearly impossible) Is the average total comp of a HF trader actually higher than that of a BB IB associate. I know that with the HF payment structure the base is low but the bonus is 5-20% of your profit usually around 12%. Do most traders at a decent HF (P72, Citadel, millennium) make more than the $350-450k a mid level Goldman associate might make?

2 Comments
 

Fugiat sequi eaque non illum ipsa ad. Quae vero eos nihil nam eos adipisci voluptas voluptatem. Rerum et ea maiores vel. Unde et ut quaerat reprehenderit. Sed impedit provident vitae facilis.

Esse nesciunt accusantium sed et nam. Fugiat ullam possimus nostrum dolorem at distinctio. Ad sit itaque ea voluptate cum mollitia. Vero aut aut ea explicabo. Quis quis ut expedita voluptatem molestias quis. Iusto et ea quo placeat enim. Qui quo quasi a pariatur nulla.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 97.1%
  • AQR Capital Management 96.2%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Blackstone Group 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.1%
  • Millennium Partners 95.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • AQR Capital Management 99.0%
  • Point72 98.1%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.2%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Portfolio Manager (9) $1,648
  • Vice President (27) $464
  • Director/MD (12) $423
  • NA (9) $320
  • Engineer/Quant (86) $288
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (26) $284
  • Manager (4) $282
  • 2nd Year Associate (32) $253
  • 1st Year Associate (77) $191
  • Analysts (242) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (29) $145
  • Junior Trader (5) $102
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (282) $96
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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”