Boutique IB vs Big 4 Advisory for Corp Dev

Between a IBD role at well known regional boutique and a advisory role at PwC/EY - which one would you choose if you wanted to get into corporate strategy/development?

The regional boutique is focused on the industry I would like to do corp dev work in.

The 30K ish pay gap aside, how do these two opportunities compare?

Thanks for all the help.

5 Comments
 
Best Response

I just started out in CF at a F50, so I don't know much - but I have noticed a few patterns over the past few months. Also, I don't work in Corp Dev, but Corp Dev falls under my organization.

1.) From what I have seen at my company, there is a lot of respect for Big4 companies in the Corp Fin organization. Most of the very senior guys have Big4 backgrounds.

2.)There is no "prestige" factor at work, at least in my company. You don't need to have to gone to HYP and done IB out of college. In fact the top guys in the division and company went to very ordinary college, but paid their dues. They took on tough foreign assignments and raised their hands to oversee a new project.

3.)I'll contradict myself and say that brand name matters in the sense that Big4 is a known quantity. The CFO/Head of Corp Dev know that Big4 guys have a certain level of training and ability.

4.) Don't be an idiot and don't take the THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLAR paycut. Please dont!

 

Thanks for the input. With regards to your experience - when your groups are interviewing prospective candidates do they prefer on over the other? My issue with the 30K pay difference is that I imagine there is a large difference in quality of life (work-life balance) between Big4 Advisory and IB. I am trying to see if the strenuous IB path is worth going through if corp dev is the eventual goal.

 

It is well-discussed on this website but it is definitely less recognizable than HLHZ/Piper and so on. They have closed several billion dollar deals in the past year and a half and have a very strong deal flow. Within their niche they are very well known. Thanks for the insight.

 

Sint molestiae sint nulla autem. Accusantium vel facere voluptas et dolorem aut. Aut maiores ut omnis consequatur enim qui.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

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
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
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
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...”