Biglaw comp compared to PE/IB?

It's known that finance is generally more lucrative than law. But by how much?

There are 20 law firms where partners earn over $3M per year, and another 18 paying over $2M a year. There are various botiques (ie, Susman) that go even higher. Are there many PE/IB positions paying more? Or is it statistically likelier to make partner/MD at PE/IB than it is to make partner in biglaw? Is the real difference more at the associate level?

Obviously the most successful HF guys are making enormous amounts. But a WSO post (I can't link yet) says DE Shaw was only paying analysts $240K. That's less than a lot of Biglaw 2nd-years. Is there just a lot more growth over a career at an HF?

1 Comments
 

Labore molestiae quia suscipit earum. Magni suscipit corrupti quas porro. Voluptas ipsam commodi ullam. Quos beatae velit laudantium doloremque accusamus accusantium. Autem quaerat est recusandae. Labore odio dolor ab aut et suscipit qui.

Dolorem ut magni laudantium. Tenetur nam ut sequi voluptas aspernatur tempore voluptatibus.

Quaerat tempora sint et deserunt ut. Nobis quia dignissimos blanditiis atque quo et.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 03 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • 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
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
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...”