Finance Job in Toronto or NYC

Hi everyone, I had a couple questions about the finance industry of Toronto and how it compares to other global cities. I have a few options on where I may pursue a career in investment banking. I have 2 options, NYC or Toronto.

1- The first thing I'm wondering is how the cost of living generally compares between the two cities.

-How do taxes compare?

-How does housing compare near Wall St/Bay St areas?

-How food, retail, transportation compare in terms of cost?

2- How Toronto compares to NYC salary-wise. I read on another post that people in finance and tech in Toronto make about 1/2 of what people in NYC make. Obviously, people in NYC are going to be making more than people in Toronto firstly due to the Canadian Dollar and secondly due to NYC being a much larger city but is the gap as big as 50% or is it more like 20%? Would I be better off getting US citizenship and moving there for a higher salary?

3- How does job security vary in each city? Job security is usually not that good on Wall Street from what I hear but is it better in Toronto as there are fewer people and it's less affected by economic crashes and so fewer layoffs? Also in Toronto, many people don't go to the buy-side whereas in NYC the majority go over to PE/HF where a lot more layoffs occur.

4- Finally, how does the amount of jobs compare. Like with salary, obviously, NYC has more jobs but I've heard as little as 10 people per year at big 5 banks whereas I've heard GS hires about 90-120 per year. Wouldn't this mean that in a class of 600 people at Ivey, the majority of them who want to get onto Bay Street would most likely not get a job?

So is it worth it to stay in the smaller but slightly safer economy of Toronto but take a comp cut? Or is NYC the destination I should be aiming for?

Any insight from someone currently working in the finance industry of Toronto/NYC would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks very much.

4 Comments
 

I'm at one of the only schools in Canada where some American banks will hire people for their NYC and West Coast by sponsoring their Visa or hire them for their Toronto office.

I prefer jobs that have higher job security (who doesn't?) as well as a chance to move up the ladder one of which is more found in NYC and the other is more found in Toronto.

I'm just trying to weight my possible options in the future to see where I should aim.

 
Best Response

Ducimus quia quaerat culpa nihil eum. Sed ipsa architecto neque et dolorem. Voluptate dolore perferendis earum maiores id voluptates eius tenetur.

Illum sit dolorem nemo quidem assumenda expedita quisquam. Enim enim ea occaecati repellendus aperiam quod placeat. Iure eum suscipit fugit error ipsam perspiciatis magni dolore. Officia ducimus enim asperiores nemo officia eos expedita.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 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

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
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...”