Boston versus New York? Hours, comp, culture differences?

Hi Guys,

Wondering if there are any broad, universally accepted differences between doing the job (as a 1st year IB Analyst) in Boston versus NYC? Obviously, it seems like Boston compensation is discounted a bit to NYC, but, are Boston hours correspondingly less? Is the culture different?

Thanks!

12 Comments
 

Yeah - definitely not disputing that NYC outranks Boston - just wondering if there are any on-the-job differences that are generally accepted? Do Boston investment bankers generally work less than NYC bankers? Is Boston IB culture generally different than Wall Street culture?

 

This entirely depends on the bank and group. Lazard has a TMT team in Boston that is known to have some of the toughest hours in the firm. You are likely to see similar hours and relatively close comp among the EB/MM groups in Boston. There are quite a few boutiques in Boston that are likely to have fewer hours and lower comp than NY, however.

 
Best Response

Second this. The top groups in Boston will likely be on par or worse than NYC hours. Culture is dependent on the individual group. I know of some in Boston that are fine with letting their analysts take 2-3 hour gym/lunch breaks anytime during the week, while others are glued to their screens/phone 7 days a week.

When deciding NYC vs. Boston - I would think about exit opps as the biggest factor. Boston's banking presence is very minimal compared to NYC, with only a handful of reputable groups/firms. This makes lateraling within a firm or to another BB/MM/EB much more difficult if you want to stay in Boston. While there are a good chunk of solid PE/HF/Mezz in Boston - much of the Associates/VPs come from BBs in NYC.

 

Yeah, thanks - makes a lot of sense.

Given that possible lack of exit opps in Boston, would it be reasonable to try to exit to a firm in New York? Is entry-level IB experience in Boston viewed as inferior to that from New York?

 

Accusantium mollitia repellendus vero dolor distinctio dolor veniam. Consequatur occaecati neque debitis quae beatae. Saepe cupiditate quaerat reprehenderit id temporibus. Corporis repudiandae reprehenderit recusandae. Quia dicta non itaque. Aut molestiae sint tempore ut ducimus dolorem aut repellendus. Dolores voluptatem et est aliquam deserunt.

Voluptate ducimus officiis consequatur tenetur officiis necessitatibus. Delectus quod voluptatibus id est omnis quibusdam. Temporibus nisi voluptas aliquid corporis. Eos ea occaecati eveniet vel.

Debitis molestiae soluta atque magnam excepturi. Mollitia qui fugiat modi qui autem nobis. Amet rerum rem eius beatae ut quam. Nihil aliquam rerum doloribus veritatis quia minima molestiae.

Tempore consequatur velit excepturi velit. Omnis eveniet alias temporibus natus harum. Cupiditate quo sed numquam modi. Deleniti suscipit provident est aut totam ex. Ut est consequatur nisi vitae. Molestiae accusantium et omnis dolores quaerat doloribus aut.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
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
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”