IB vs PE vs HF vs VC creme de la creme

Hi everyone, I've read some topics on PE vs HF vs IB vs VC topic. My question is, usually for most of the things out there there is a hierarchy right ? For example, which is the most prestigious consulting firm ? It's MBB (tier 1) then ATK, OW, RB, etc (tier 2). Likewise, if I were to compare the exclusiveness/prestigious among IB, PE, HF, VC which would be considered to be on top of the chart in terms of Pay without any bias ? They are different industries yes, but which one of it comes at the top of the hierarchy or if you were to rank them? Thanks.

3 Comments
 

Daniel-Ryan1, sorry there are no responses yet. Maybe one of these topics can point you in the right direction:

  • Comparing Investment Banks, Hedge Funds and Private Equity me a quick simple, basic breakdown of the differences between IB, VC, PE, and Hedge Funds? Investment ... this detailed thread on WSO. Private Equity vs VC vs. Hedge Fund Private equity is similar to VC as ... Banking
  • 7 Figure Hedge Fund Salary- Myth or Reality? Widely considered the creme de la creme of financial institutions, hedge funds are a source of ... investment banks in that hedge fund bonuses are much more volatile. In investment banking, it's true ... mrharveyspecter- Private Equity Associate: For
  • Credit Hedge Fund opportunities available... and not sure about competitive dynamics regarding private lending from an investment manager/ HF ... a squeeze given the inflow of capital into private debt funds with a lower return profile target- and on the ... fulfillment, and purpose as well. CLO Platforms Investment strategy- Structure/ launch a CLO fund with fees ...
  • Hedge Funds v/s Private Equity: Which industry will survive and thrive in the next two decades? panel discussion and gave some profound advise on 'How to run a hedge fund?'; and just now ... questions: 1. In the coming two decades, will we be left with a handful of hedge funds running on ... actual idea generation or just in fund raising/IR? 2. Will the PE guys simply take over the entire ...
  • Hedge Fund Careers: Getting a Hedge Fund Job Out of Undergrad and Beyond become a hedge fund analyst without experience? While working in equity research or in investment banking ... fund employees work an average of 50-70 hours a week, far less than their investment banking peers. ... two years of investment banking, equity research, or sales and trading. Among those, what you ch
  • Transition from Big 4 Public Accounting to Hedge Fund or Private Equity private equity firm even for a back office supporting role where I can analyze investment performance and ... equity Below you see a detailed response from one of our certified venture capital users. He notes that ... during busy season. Recommended Reading Networking Into A Hedge Fund? It's Unstructured Private ...
  • Credit Hedge Fund Definition and Interviews Hedge Fund Interview Prep Course Investment Banking BB Private Equity Credit Hedge Funds ... hedge fund within a private equity fund: focused on distressed debt, special situations, long/short ... HF Interview Prep Course which includes 814
  • Breaking Into a Hedge Fund with a Background in Pharmaceuticals Bridgewater Biotechnology Consultants ER Equity Research Banking HF Hedge Fund VC Venture Capital ... AM Hedge Fund HF PE IB Boston NYC CFA MBA non target Hedge fund and Private Equity fund .
  • More suggestions...

Fingers crossed that one of those helps you.

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

Repellat consequatur nam omnis neque sunt qui possimus. Incidunt minus consequatur minima autem. Sunt quo corrupti nobis nostrum pariatur sed tempora. Sit cumque dolor vitae voluptas autem enim. Eaque non debitis beatae et. Eligendi necessitatibus dolorem fuga voluptate vel velit.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
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...”