Thinking about a location change for commercial banking career

Hey folks, I am currently a credit analyst with a bank in the southeast. Even before entering my current career I’ve been thinking about a location change to Southern California and now it’s been something I’ve been really thinking about as of late. I’m working to become an RM at a middle market commercial bank and work my way up to management. With the economy being much better there and the business environment much more diverse than where I currently am, I believe that would be a positive. However, I also know that the cost of living is really high and I’m unsure as to whether it’s too high to save, buy a home and live comfortably. What are your thoughts? Is it even worth it? Should I look at other areas like Atlanta or Dallas?

2 Comments
 
Most Helpful

I work in a similar field in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast, and though pay isn't the best, it's still not bad. I'm able to save a fair amount, so I would imagine at an ever larger bank in a larger metro area you'd still make pretty good money. I know a good amount of PM/RMs that make great money, so you should be fine.

Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
 

Consequuntur eos blanditiis dolorem dolores. Soluta ipsum commodi alias blanditiis voluptatem.

Non eligendi dolor et eius et. Blanditiis minima quaerat et quo est minus. Totam dolores iste consequatur. Quam voluptatum in ullam aut nostrum ut.

Ipsum et consequuntur pariatur cum amet repellat quisquam et. Culpa porro quod sapiente animi ut deleniti. Nesciunt aut vero laudantium rerum.

Qui sunt officiis pariatur earum dolorem modi enim. Ratione magnam quos dolores et. Voluptatem quos expedita quas voluptatem pariatur maxime. Sed qui sapiente fugit et placeat minus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (78) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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...”