Blackstone Tops Vault’s 2014 Banking Employers Rankings

Looks like Blackstone vaulted (lulz) to the top of the list this year, jumping Goldman as JP Morgan sunk down to 3.

VaultThe VAULT BANKING 50 is compiled using a weighted formula that reflects the issues banking professionals care most about, combining quality of life rankings (such as culture, satisfaction, work/life balance, training, and compensation) with overall prestige.

1. The Blackstone Group - New York, NY
2. Goldman Sachs & Co. - New York, NY
3. J.P. Morgan Investment Bank - New York, NY
4. Houlihan Lokey - Los Angeles, CA
5. Evercore Partners - New York, NY
6. Morgan Stanley - New York, NY
7. Centerview Partners - New York, NY
8. Greenhill & Co., Inc. - New York, NY
9. Perella Weinberg Partners - New York, NY
10. Credit Suisse - New York, NY
11. Peter J. Solomon Company - New York, NY
12. William Blair & Company - Chicago, IL
13. Robert W. Baird & Co. (Baird) - Milwaukee, WI
14. Lazard - New York, NY
15. RBC Capital Markets - Toronto
16. Citi Institutional Clients Group - New York, NY
17. Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc - Edinburgh
18. Cowen Group, Inc. - New York, NY
19. SunTrust Robinson Humphrey - Atlanta, GA
20. Barclays (Investment Banking) - New York, NY
21. Deutsche Bank AG - New York, NY
22. Bank of America Corp. - Charlotte, NC
23. Moelis & Company - New York, NY
24. Jefferies & Company, Inc. - New York, NY
25. Rothschild – New York, NY

What do you think? Do these lists matter? Are they accurate?

See the full ranking, including movement from last year, here: http://www.vault.com/company-rankings/banking/vault-banking-50

32 Comments
 

RBS = 17 = list means nothing

"After you work on Wall Street it’s a choice, would you rather work at McDonalds or on the sell-side? I would choose McDonalds over the sell-side.” - David Tepper
 
CRE Oreos:

RBS = 17 = list means nothing

Higher? Lower?

you're not being serious are you? You think RBS is a better place to work than Moelis? DB? Roths? BAML?
"After you work on Wall Street it’s a choice, would you rather work at McDonalds or on the sell-side? I would choose McDonalds over the sell-side.” - David Tepper
 
Best Response
Oreos CRE: Oreos:

RBS = 17 = list means nothing

Higher? Lower?

you're not being serious are you? You think RBS is a better place to work than Moelis? DB? Roths? BAML?

Hahaha, just trying to make my thread more interesting than the other 2-3 about this very same subject.

Either way you came out firing it would at least inspire a response.

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 
11?
"For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God. Bloody Mary full of vodka, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now and at the hour of my death, which I hope is soon. Amen."
 

Honestly most of the middle-market firms on this list seem ranked excessively high. Unless they really put such a large emphasis on quality of work life.

 

Typically very indifferent to these types of rankings, but #11, 17-19 are pretty ridiculous IMO. Really don't know enough about IB to make a qualified opinion, but they just seem out of place. Surprised that Rothschild, Moelis, & Lazard are so far down too-

People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for freedom of thought which they seldom use.
 
Anihilist

Typically very indifferent to these types of rankings, but #11, 17-19 are pretty ridiculous IMO. Really don't know enough about IB to make a qualified opinion, but they just seem out of place. Surprised that Rothschild, Moelis, & Lazard are so far down too-

Don't Moelis & Lazard have sweatshop reputations at least?

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 
CRE Anihilist:

Typically very indifferent to these types of rankings, but #11, 17-19 are pretty ridiculous IMO. Really don't know enough about IB to make a qualified opinion, but they just seem out of place. Surprised that Rothschild, Moelis, & Lazard are so far down too-

Don't Moelis & Lazard have sweatshop reputations at least?

Does a woodchuck chuck wood?

"Look, you're my best friend, so don't take this the wrong way. In twenty years, if you're still livin' here, comin' over to my house to watch the Patriots games, still workin' construction, I'll fuckin' kill you. That's not a threat, that's a fact.
 

Haha, I'm probably just about as informed as you. I guess when looking at the company as a whole, it is a different beast than how WSO usually examines them (i.e. exit ops, prestige, deal flow, etc).

I guess WSO may have tainted me slightly, so I'll shut up.

People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for freedom of thought which they seldom use.
 

Huge sweatshops, so maybe that explains why they're ranked so low. But a list like this is bullshit. Just look at how good exit opps/prestige are because that seems to be at least somewhat objective. Besides that, think about how much you like the group you'd be working in and make a decision based on that (the latter being as important as the prestige thing imo).

 

Wow, this is actually a great list. I'd also take Peter Solomon over Lazard. The unbiasedness really warms my heart. All of you circle jerking monkeys need to realize that taking a firm like HLHZ over MS, LAZ, Barclays, DB is the way to go.

"Look, you're my best friend, so don't take this the wrong way. In twenty years, if you're still livin' here, comin' over to my house to watch the Patriots games, still workin' construction, I'll fuckin' kill you. That's not a threat, that's a fact.
 
aar0n510

these lists are meaningless every year. just look at banks that have good exit opps.

"I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature."
 
heloo17

Just posted this in the other thread, but figured i'd echo it here.

Look at league tables, not Vault lists. You want to go where you're going to work on the most deals, that is the absolute only thing to worry about, plain and simple.

This thread appreciates your support

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

What about the likes of UniCredit and Commerzbank, rarely do they get a mention on this site. Are their IB operations just too small to bare thinking about?

"As a hypothetical?" "No. This is real."
 

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Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.3%

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August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (48) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $101
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