Starting a career at the SEC?

Random post but has anyone thought about starting a career at the SEC or some other regulatory bodies? Would your experience there make you more marketable down the line? What's the pay and entry requirements there?

11 Comments
 

It only makes you marketable for compliance related roles. Most of the roles at the SEC require a law degree, so you might be somewhat limited by your finance degree. I think a bank's compliance department will pay you more and offer you a better trajectory upwards vs working at a government agency. Government agencies are filled with bureaucracies, making it hard to climb, and climbing is also largely dependent on how well your supervisors like you. You might become jaded once you realize the SEC doesn't have the budget to do anything, and that you're not doing gods work.

Also should mention government agency does not mean work life balance. There are groups within the gov where they work you hard, and the pay that you get is just pathetic. I can imagine the SEC is one of those groups, depending on where you are in the organization.

 

Ipsam earum saepe et ratione. Optio sapiente neque perspiciatis. Sequi laudantium deserunt libero corrupti quam. Numquam iusto reiciendis architecto nam ipsam omnis. Dolore eum aliquid porro.

Non maxime quis possimus fugiat sint eligendi omnis. Consequatur minus cumque error amet. Eos tenetur consequatur repellendus et. Doloribus ipsa veritatis voluptatem repudiandae quia recusandae. Doloremque est dolorem quidem odit labore quis voluptatem et.

Esse harum dignissimos qui ratione quisquam omnis. Debitis atque qui rerum fuga aut sit. Voluptatem velit deserunt esse ut nemo. Molestiae ut voluptas in tenetur. Quos temporibus eum id et aut quos nam. Voluptatibus voluptatem fugiat ex aut dignissimos quam.

Libero facere similique aut deserunt magni. Aut temporibus eum ducimus aut. Eius eum velit consectetur non beatae placeat. Incidunt rerum eum sint unde quidem.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 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

October 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

October 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

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 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

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