Analyst/Trader job listing on WSO

50 is definitely low but it depends on the role. If it's working with a strong investor and getting a lot of responsibility and the 50 likely ramps a lot and quickly, that's better than another year of banking. A lot of smaller private wealth funds don't pay a lot until people prove they add value. It's not like a big hedge fund where you can afford to have some dead wood on a staff of 50 - 100.

Austin is an up and comer in tech. I've never personally been there so I have no opinion, but it's one of the fastest growing and hottest cities in America right now based on the statistics.

Right but this isn't a tech job it's a finance job. As far as finance goes it's a ghost town so if you end up not liking this job (that pays 50k) it's going to be hard to get interviews in a financial center coming from the middle of nowhere in TX. A "strong investor" would be embarrassed to post something like that. They wouldn't need to pay 50K for an "analyst/trader" if they're a "strong investor".

Austin is a really cool city, I've been there a few times and have loved it. Tons to do and it's also really cheap to live in Texas.

Comp also says 50k+, so I assume there would be a bonus to go with that base. It's probably comparable to 70k in NY with better hours.

It's a finance job that invests in companies across countries and industries. If they're in Austin, they're investing in tech and biotech.

There are plenty of funds with people managing $100M or whatever who have strong track records and are cheap. Being a lead analyst for $50K with a ramp and a lot of responsibility is better than being 8th man on the team for $150K. I work for a very strong investor and never made anywhere near that little, but I've seen people offer to work for as low as $60K all in right out of undergrad so it's not a crazy scenario.

It might be a horrible deal. But it could be really good if you have the potential to travel to HK and Israel, etc.

Point is, we're not going to know, but there's a decent chance it's not as bad as you are making it sound.

Comp implies base + bonus. It doesn't matter if Austin is a "really cool city" career wise it would be awful to go there early in your career (since there is basically no finance there compared to typical financial centers) especially for that kind of money.

Ive seen postings in places before for people with 1+ years of ER research in NYC who would be required to move to Texas for 40K/year salary.

And they actually fill those roles? They must really get the bottom of the barrel if so.

No, your point is that banking entitles you to something amazing. I think banking experience is shit. Most HF and PE experience coming out of banking is shit. In fact, pretty much anything you're going to do in finance before b-school is shit unless you get one of the few good opportunities around. Working at a mega fund and being 8th man on the deal team manning the copy machine is not one of those opportunities.

If this is a legit opportunity to be highly involved and travel around the world doing analysis early in your career, that is 10x better than doing some horseshit admin work called "banking," even if there is a large pay difference. The smart money looks at NPV, not one year earnings.

50 is a joke. For a new grad with NO FT experience, I'd say 60K should be a min for a legit finance job. After 1-2 years at a top bank, the salary should be around 80K base.

50k USD couldn't even get you a years rent in HK

You're right, I don't hire analysts for a good hedge fund. I have no idea what banking experience entails, and what the range of possible opportunities are post banking. I haven't seen people with top credentials (including H / S / W MBAs) die to get a job for below market pay at this fund. I've also never interviewed anyone from a brand name firm or bank that doesn't know anything about investing. Please get over yourself.

We don't even know if 50 is base or total comp. It looks like a boiler plate text field, so it could be either one.

Finding a good opportunity at a smaller fund at the junior level is neither rare, nor amazing.

People on this website make it sound like there is only one true path in the world of finance. Most of the best investors in the world on both the HF and PE side did not follow that path.

CS Arb,

Why are you arguing so much in your own thread?

If you're not too familiar with trading (on the buyside especially), most of the income comes from the P/L. I doubt this is a execution type gig. The role probably has potential to manage a portfolio. I worked a trading assistant job after undergrad and had the firm not closed shop I would've had my own book if things went well. Anyways I was making 50k in Stamford but the potential was the real reward. Unfortunately it didn't work out but it is what it is.

Even on prop desks for bulge brackets IBs prop traders can make $150,000 in salary but they make absurd amounts in P/L. Say you get to keep 20% and make $5M.... that's a pretty penny.

Also don't associate trading with finance. Perhaps the analyst roles does finance, but trading not so much.

I have to agree a little with CS Arb... to some extent.

I don't see this being a good role for someone post their 2nd year in a front office IBD role, unless there are some serious redeeming factors, i.e. the investor is very well known, real possibility for accelerated career progression or such. The firm could blow up next year and as much as I like to dismiss bankers for knowing very little about investing, it is much easier trying to get a job coming from a global bank than from a no-name fund that just died... If you're not making much more than $50k in your current role, or are only 3 - 12 months out of university then that is a different situation.

Your network would be limited. This is a big deal for young people early in their career. Your branding could be limited as well. This is a very big deal if you find yourself looking for a job before you get your MBA.

If I had to speculate... It sounds like this is probably a very small/new fund, or a start-up fund from someone who has raised his first fund having left a better group.

Also, lets not get ahead of ourselves... people who are cheap enough to pay you $50k after having a couple of years experience, aren't going to hand you 20% of your P/L... Maybe things are different in the hedge fund world, but I doubt it.