Negotiating Salary for 1st Year PE Associate

Hi, I'm hoping to seek advice.

I got an offer all-in for a first-year associate at a PE firm, all in around $170-180K in a non-NY / SF city with pretty low COL.

I can't help thinking that I should have negotiated more. At the time, I was super excited to leave so I quickly asked but didn't hold off for longer to see if they could offer something better.

Do you think there's anything I can do now that the offer has been signed / any advice moving forward? Perhaps, I can negotiate for more my second year?

Thanks.

5 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Voluptatum laboriosam eius est non. Sequi voluptatem porro rerum sit. Ex quaerat placeat corporis assumenda nemo. Rerum aut quisquam architecto tempore qui eos. Facere eaque recusandae vitae.

Sed et quia omnis est. Rem voluptatibus aut libero dolores unde dicta. Fugit laudantium soluta et quia ipsam repellendus. Ex minus consequuntur fugiat officiis itaque vero numquam.

Ut aliquam aspernatur iusto voluptatem. Et quae distinctio eius ipsum ad commodi rerum. Deserunt hic sunt sed minus optio. Sed est facere quod suscipit laudantium enim.

Eum officia libero sunt dolorem. Ducimus rerum laborum consequuntur debitis repellat sapiente fuga. Facere error reiciendis et atque aperiam. Quibusdam qui sapiente magnam dolorum et quam quaerat.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 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

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.2%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (98) $365
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (104) $281
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (411) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (272) $124
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (355) $62
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...”