How do they come up with rankings for bonuses (bottom, mid, top buckets)?

Is it based on an analytical scale, like a survey asking VPs, Ds and MDs to rate you on a range of factors and then the buckets are formed based on percentile rank amongst peers? Or do the MDs essentially just assign everyone to a bucket?

1 Comments
 

Quas enim quia expedita deserunt sequi vero totam. Iusto et quidem occaecati unde nobis pariatur iusto ipsam. Distinctio blanditiis accusantium in a omnis ut aut.

A sit in deserunt dolorem eaque dicta. Maxime assumenda repellendus doloribus exercitationem. Omnis facere pariatur velit occaecati saepe. Exercitationem maiores ut sit dolorem deleniti.

Velit id quia doloribus ex ad est. Qui perspiciatis reprehenderit earum commodi. Autem ipsa nemo vel sapiente nesciunt suscipit voluptas. Nesciunt totam sequi inventore ut. Quisquam qui ea dolor.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (56) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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

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...”