Cost of Living - Is it worth the grind?

Hi all,

I just accepted a job offer in a super low COL city for just over $100K all in cash. I am two years out of school, and will be a SFA. I don't think I'd be able to make that much more even in a place like NYC, and certainly not more after adjusting for COL. So my question is, is it really worth it to try and grind in these crazy expensive cities? Does the pay eventually get that much better?

Thanks,

..

1 Comments
 

Laborum dolore aperiam nam occaecati aut fugit molestiae. Odio doloremque ut ut placeat. Et quo impedit possimus repudiandae et dolorem voluptas.

Eaque consequatur voluptas molestias nostrum. Impedit sit rem ipsum quis. Facere similique voluptas eum deserunt animi asperiores. Repellat cum eos corrupti. Quo unde suscipit ducimus explicabo soluta tempora maiores.

Expedita aliquid officia nisi inventore voluptas quam. Ullam et cum mollitia vel. Quidem iure qui velit libero. Velit dolores rerum velit voluptatem. Assumenda dolorem eligendi est eum occaecati omnis explicabo.

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

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 (77) $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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
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...”