What do you wish you knew before joining MM HF?

What do you wish you knew before joining MM HF? What are the biggest surprises that came along the way? Is it true that MM HF analysts make 300-450k on average / median (even at citadel and point72?

7 Comments
 
Most Helpful

300-450k sounds right to me, actually (several yrs experience in top tier LS H/F) - depends on how good a year you have and how generous your PM is but I had multiple peers making over 500k in good years (even in year 2). I even knew a couple hitting 7 figures who were still considered an "analyst" (ie, no direct trading responsibility), though that is obviously quite rare and those people were older.

To answer OP's question, what do I wish I knew? I wish I knew how all-consuming the job is. The stress never ends, market holidays are few and far between and you can't stop thinking about your stocks. Not a recommended career path unless you really love public markets. Also, the exit opps are limited compared to IB/PE. Most people move between funds but it's harder to go corporate or do a full career switch.

 

Non nihil illo dolor. Itaque corrupti eius aperiam. Voluptatem et facilis quasi distinctio aut ratione. Ut perferendis cumque earum et molestias quo iusto. Fuga praesentium quidem officia quo hic.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 97.1%
  • AQR Capital Management 96.1%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Blackstone Group 97.0%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.0%
  • Millennium Partners 95.0%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 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

June 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 (76) $192
  • 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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”