How do Deloitte / KPMG Corporate Finance stack up to other MM shops in the USA?

Hey there,

Want to ask this forum for thoughts on Big 4 investment banking and how it compares to other MM shops? I’ve read previous threads on here that say pay sucks, hours suck, exits suck, etc. but then I go and look at specific salary data on WSO and see Big 4 IB pays median $130 TC for analyst and median $200k TC for associate in 2022, see comments saying hours average 50-60 per week, and see exits are reputable MM banks and even LMM PE on LinkedIn, so have to ask if they’re on par with reputable MM groups?

Basically asking if you think pay is fair for the hours at DCF or KPMG CF, and then as well asking if you think these places are just as reputable as Stifel, Lincoln, Piper Jafray/Sandler, Baird, Blair, etc?

17 Comments
 

That pay is pretty poor, considering many shops are paying second year analysts ~$125k in base alone. Same with associates, with Aso0/1 base being $175k.

I’m currently at a MM bank and I generally average 70 hours a week. Yes, it can be a lot more when we’re really in crunch time, but the average 10-20 hours of additional work per week over Big4 CF is definitely worth the extra $50-100k+ in TC.

I guess if it’s your only option, it’s definitely better than nothing, but I wouldn’t rank it the same level as the MM’s you quoted.

 

Definitely to each their own then. WLB is where the trade-off comes in for me. TC isn’t the same, but hourly comp is similar to other MMs and at 55ish hours per week I wouldn’t be complaining lol.

 

Keep in mind that is an intern who is prob extremely inefficient and may not be expected to actually work those hours. I'm at a sweaty large MM but we don't expect our interns to work that late

 

DCF mostly works on deals in the 50-500m EV range. Hours and comp are similar to other MM shops. Like most shops in 2021 work life balance was basically non-existent so it doesn't surprise me to hear that interns were working 90 hours. I heard people were pretty happy with their comp last year.  Analyst seem to place well in MM PE.

 
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My experience is a bit dated, but I can tell you we've never seen either in bake offs. They aren't in the same league as Tier 1 or even Tier 2 MMs (e.g., Lincoln) these days.

  • Pay is subpar vs. leading MMs (HW, Blair, Baird, HL)
  • Deal volume - lower because they generally aren't pitching quite as often, which isn't a bad thing
  • Hours - historically they were better, which aligned with lower comp... sounds like that may have changed based on other replies
  • Deal quality - significantly worse; saw a deck from them with a healthcare business that was basically unprofitable and had crazy adjustments to get to $10mm Adj. EBITDA. Never traded. Generally speaking, they are working more on $25-$100 EV deals from what I've seen.
  • Materials - decent, particularly for the DCF team; definitely on par with BGL, Stout type groups
 

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