WLB for IB?

Which groups in investment banking have the worst hours relative to their peers? From my understanding M&A (unpredictability), TMT (high transaction volumes), and LevFin (aggressive PE buyers) are the worst.I heard DCM is the most chill and pretty formulated. But again I want to hear input from some monkeys

8 Comments
 

Specific groups cannot be said to have generally better or worse WLB across the street (except for DCM/ECM which tend to be a little lighter).

It is entirely dependent on the culture of a group at a specific firm, and whether X group at Y bank is sweaty or not can change somewhat quickly if there is turnover at the VP/Director level or even something as small as the group changing staffers.

 

Second this - varies widely based on firm, culture, dealflow, seniors, facetime expectations, so many factors. While capital markets may average a touch lighter, our cap mkts people still work late, regularly. Also, your WLB might be better if your firm has poor dealflow, but that carries an obvious tradeoff there for your career / bonus / personal development / et cetera.

 

Quam qui fugit molestias qui labore asperiores ut quasi. Iusto est porro et vero aut.

Repellat et minus eos cumque fugit sed. Aut voluptatem est alias quo amet illo. Modi ullam consequuntur reiciendis qui quos quod. Dolorum aut aliquid quis nihil velit similique voluptatem laboriosam.

Laboriosam est consequatur laborum praesentium. Exercitationem nostrum enim aperiam eius maxime. Rerum eligendi fugiat qui.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • 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...”