London PE Comp Progression

Hey everyone, I've been curious about the comp progression, specifically the cash vs. carry component, for PE professionals in London. Understand that junior pay is usually considerably lower than US counterparts, does the pay gap widen or narrow at VP to MD level? If anyone can share the data points in your experience with regards to fund size, type of strategy, etc. Factors like how carry is typically structured, when it kicks in, and any insights into how it impacts overall earnings would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a bunch!

5 Comments
 

It varies so much by fund (size, European vs US fund, single vs multi-strategy) but broadly if you are in large cap (i.e. UMM/MF) - cash comp should be anywhere from 200-250k GBP (maybe more at some outliers such as WP or H&F) and scale up by 30-40k p.a. Carry usually comes in at the VP level which is usually 3-4 years after joining the fund (or -6 years into your career) but likely won’t pay for a few years (subject to hurdle, fund waterfall, performance etc). 

 

Thanks for the reply. Is the 30-40k figure a steady annual increase? Do ppl see large jumps when title upgrades?

 

Veniam sed eum nihil sed est. Facere et quam praesentium dignissimos. Dolorum et ut rem voluptas ipsum voluptatem doloremque.

Ullam maiores velit id perspiciatis reprehenderit. Ullam nemo dicta culpa animi sapiente. Ipsum assumenda odio aspernatur nisi odio. Laboriosam deserunt rerum explicabo non dolores. Assumenda quaerat dolor molestiae cupiditate.

Et dolores vel aperiam similique modi deserunt. Quas dicta sit sed aut eos ut. Excepturi et eos ratione et sit quis omnis. Magni mollitia ut et reprehenderit ea. Quod quasi autem fuga fuga perspiciatis ex voluptatem.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Private Equity

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

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 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

September 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (99) $363
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (106) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (414) $231
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (273) $126
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (356) $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

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...”