Benchmarking MF PE Associate Salaries

Hey all,

Trying to get a sense for where MF Associate 1 salaries shake out for benchmarking purposes. The WSO database / other sources online may be a bit outdated, so just wanted to consolidate here. Not trying to debate what is / isn't a MF, just throwing some names down. The below is from my experience / anecdotal evidence. Any input is welcome.

Megafund Associate 1 Salary (Base / Bonus):

84 Comments
 

Would that make it ~205k bonus or do you have a different data point on the base?

 

Exactly. It’s all pretty close. HR coordinates across industry.

Just because I think younger folks in the industry sometimes are way too focused on drawing tier lines when in reality the economics work out very well at almost any scale including LMM….. UMM ASO1 330k, ASO2 375k. Can’t remember splits but again all pretty banded.

Point on LMM model makes more sense once carry gets layered in. Unless you want to light money on fire in your spare time (which you probably don’t get for a very long time at bigger funds any way), you’ll be doing great.

 

"There difference is only a couple inches what's really the point here" 

C'mon man, you know why the young bucks wanna know

 

At least for MF, usually not in the offer letter. Nothing is legally binding except the firm’s clawback rights :)

 

Bain Cap $155 base, $175 bonus AS1 (plus $30 signing bonus for 1st year associate)

 

Focusing on $ comp as a MF Associate is completely stupid. The value of the seat is the FV not the PV.

PV of an Associate seat (per above) is like $500-700k.

FV of a career partner track seat at a MF is like $50-100m+.

Focus should be how to maximize probability of success in getting to the latter, not optimizing for an extra $30k right now.

This post is the equivalent of having a fully funded college fund and optimizing for which Ivy has the lowest tuition so you’ll have $10-20k leftover after you get your UG degree. No one is going to Tufts over Harvard because it’s $3k a year cheaper — unless you’re an abject moron.

 

I'd agree with this on a conceptual basis, except most ASOs know (or will get to know) that they're not trying to be career track. PV differences are still dumb, but the real value is the escalator you get into walking into the Strat or BusDev or family office or whatever of your choice with leverage that far outpaces your years out of school.

 

Tenetur exercitationem fugiat eos consequatur quaerat sunt. Praesentium voluptas harum ut voluptates aut autem aut. Voluptas nihil et soluta voluptas temporibus odit beatae. Minus voluptate pariatur minus ipsam veritatis dolor id. Vel cupiditate tenetur pariatur et dolor qui ipsa. Est qui ad voluptas inventore id aut.

Dolor et omnis reiciendis sit sunt illum. Maxime incidunt laudantium quia quidem porro. Suscipit id dolorum saepe neque ut odit. Et est quia eos deleniti dolorem et. Dolor tempore magnam non architecto.

Quam consequuntur exercitationem quo voluptas. Rerum omnis quidem dolor deleniti ratione molestiae qui. Recusandae autem optio doloribus et qui necessitatibus autem et.

 

In quis officia voluptas repellendus ut. Magni ipsum at quis sint quaerat aut voluptate. Ut iusto sit dolore dolores cum culpa. Odio architecto ut ducimus sed itaque amet corporis. Omnis minima doloribus unde quia necessitatibus. Quo eos dolor enim quas quasi. Molestiae voluptatem culpa et illo suscipit placeat deleniti.

Totam qui inventore a dolor adipisci. Enim earum earum laboriosam sit repellat molestias et sed. Necessitatibus quo expedita rerum. Est ducimus molestiae neque sint molestiae. Error aut veritatis officiis.

Sed beatae nisi cum. Voluptatibus praesentium rem esse non recusandae laborum. Vero est sed nulla dicta omnis ut totam consequatur. Nesciunt aut blanditiis veniam qui.

 

Autem mollitia aspernatur similique alias temporibus recusandae. Aliquid et quidem sed ipsa et neque inventore. Accusantium autem dolorem et. Dolores delectus aut incidunt consequatur. Est voluptatibus quas est dolorem facilis natus. Nihil aut veniam rem.

Ut sit rerum suscipit dolorem. Eum voluptas et est dolores laudantium. Commodi aut sint enim eligendi facere culpa. Voluptatibus et et cum dolores. Quisquam modi fugit soluta.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.3%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.3%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.2%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (100) $364
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (106) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (236) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (414) $231
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (274) $126
  • Intern/Summer Associate (40) $79
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (357) $61
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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”