Long term comp in different careers on sell side and buyside

Just some thoughts from experience:

PE is really difficult to monetise - takes long and true DAW is less than marketed DAW (losses, duration extension, fund not 100% deployed)

Banks will defer large part of your comp - but with predictable vesting

Private credit is solid but limited upside

I’d rank expected earnings by career as

HF >> S&T (trading) >> IBD >> Private Credit = PE

BB trading roles are really slept on in these forums IMO - trading MDs make great money and can have upwards path into group head or mgmt roles

Obv there are many other considerations (optimal choice is whatever is least likely to burn you out), but purely on numbers sellside still very strong

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