Bonuses for Investment Banking 2017

How are bonuses looking this year? Sounds like Deutsche got hammered and Morgan Stanley was down 15%.

Mod Note: You can find the S&T and ER bonus pages below.
S&T Bonuses
ER Bonuses

Overview of Bonuses for Investment Bankers

While salaries and bonuses can change every year on Wall Street, you can stay up to date with the a href="https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/investment-banking-industry-reports">Wall Street Oasis Industry Report. You can see a snip of the details provided in the report below.

User @MiddleMarketLivesMatter", a sales and trading vice president, also shared the following insight.

"MiddleMarketLivesMatter - Sales and Trading Vice President"Middle Market Shop bonuses are looking exceptional. It's where the real money is in this new economy. Left a BB three years ago and have seen bigger bonuses every year.

Read More About Bonuses on WSO

Preparing for Investment Banking Interviews?

The WSO investment banking interview course is designed by countless professionals with real world experience, tailored to people aspiring to break into the industry. This guide will help you learn how to answer these questions and many, many more.

Investment Banking Interview Course Here

101 Comments
 

Bonus pools seem to be down 10-15% across the Street. For junior bankers, the key is how much of that MDs will absorb.

MS certainly had more of it fall on analysts and associates from what I've heard. Citi seems to have shifted more of it to MDs (i.e the numbers I've heard for associates actually seem flat to even up relative to last year).

No European banks have given numbers yet, including DB. There are rumors about DB possibly not giving cash bonuses at all, or only giving to 10% of employees, but nothing has been communicated at any of the non-US banks.

 

Expected, no?

GoldenCinderblock: "I keep spending all my money on exotic fish so my armor sucks. Is it possible to romance multiple females? I got with the blue chick so far but I am also interested in the electronic chick and the face mask chick."
 

In Charlotte those are absolutely insane numbers.

The answer to your question is 1) network 2) get involved 3) beef up your resume 4) repeat -happypantsmcgee WSO is not your personal search function.
 
"SHORTmyCDO"

Baml Top - A1 -$140 bonus; $290 all in, A2-$180 bonus, $355 all in; A3 - $235 bonus, $435 all in. All those figures include 20% deferred stock in the bonus figure.

That's crazy how huge the difference is between top bucket and middle. I have friends at BAML who were mid bucket or slightly above A2 and A3 and their total comp were 275-320 and 360 all-in. Sounds like very very few people got top bucket.

 

As you might expect, this varies.

I know of few L2/L3 associates who were flat, few were down 3-6% overall, and only one who got his values similar to mine above. Of Analysts L2, most of the folks I knew were up (not sure of % points), but almost all of them were up a few %. Again, this is only in TECH.

While I do know some folks in other divisions, I'm not aware of their comp info.

 

DB juniors are being very shielded, compared to the rest of the firm, from what I am hearing as as a headhunter. Comparative to most of the firm, they're crushing it. Fairly in line with street, obviously a bit below but to me this is most indicative that the firm intends to move back up the comp chain, and they've been giving the largest base salary increases across the board for analysts and associates. From what I remember, for most of this century DB has the spot to be for comp - this seems like their strategy is to get back to that status, bodes well for everyone in the shop if they can make it happen.

DB IB (very clear they're taking care of the groups they're focusing on building long-term, the others not so much, base salary % increases much lower than markets across the board - which is interesting).

Analyst 1 - 20k stub Analyst 2 - 40k - 75k Analyst 3 - 45k - 85k Associate 1 - 60k -100k Associate 2 - 75k - 140k

DB Markets (big differences between fixed income and equities, they're coming in above street in a lot of what I'm seeing for fixed income, seeing very wide ranges - highly product dependent. Also, a lot of those with low bonus numbers are reporting 15-20% + base increases, balancing it out).

Analyst 1 - 20 - 25k stub (non-equities seems to be getting an extra 5) Analyst 2 - 20 - 60k Analyst 3 - 27k - 90k Associate 1 - 30k - 110k Associate 2 - 55k - 150k

Interesting seeing how much people tend to value additional base versus bonus, although from other experience that value-edge tends to taper off at around 200k base.

Keep in mind my ranges are controlled for outliers (not putting my guys at risk), and are based on only what I'm seeing.

 
"r08ge"

DB juniors are being very shielded, compared to the rest of the firm, from what I am hearing as as a headhunter. Comparative to most of the firm, they're crushing it. Fairly in line with street, obviously a bit below but to me this is most indicative that the firm intends to move back up the comp chain, and they've been giving the largest base salary increases across the board for analysts and associates. From what I remember, for most of this century DB has the spot to be for comp - this seems like their strategy is to get back to that status, bodes well for everyone in the shop if they can make it happen.

DB IB (very clear they're taking care of the groups they're focusing on building long-term, the others not so much, base salary % increases much lower than markets across the board - which is interesting).

Analyst 1 - 20k stub
Analyst 2 - 40k - 75k
Analyst 3 - 45k - 85k
Associate 1 - 60k -100k
Associate 2 - 75k - 140k

DB Markets (big differences between fixed income and equities, they're coming in above street in a lot of what I'm seeing for fixed income, seeing very wide ranges - highly product dependent. Also, a lot of those with low bonus numbers are reporting 15-20% + base increases, balancing it out).

Analyst 1 - 20 - 25k stub (non-equities seems to be getting an extra 5)
Analyst 2 - 20 - 60k
Analyst 3 - 27k - 90k
Associate 1 - 30k - 110k
Associate 2 - 55k - 150k

Interesting seeing how much people tend to value additional base versus bonus, although from other experience that value-edge tends to taper off at around 200k base.

Keep in mind my ranges are controlled for outliers (not putting my guys at risk), and are based on only what I'm seeing.

 
"r08ge"

DB juniors are being very shielded, compared to the rest of the firm, from what I am hearing as as a headhunter. Comparative to most of the firm, they're crushing it. Fairly in line with street, obviously a bit below but to me this is most indicative that the firm intends to move back up the comp chain, and they've been giving the largest base salary increases across the board for analysts and associates. From what I remember, for most of this century DB has the spot to be for comp - this seems like their strategy is to get back to that status, bodes well for everyone in the shop if they can make it happen.

DB IB (very clear they're taking care of the groups they're focusing on building long-term, the others not so much, base salary % increases much lower than markets across the board - which is interesting).

Analyst 1 - 20k stub
Analyst 2 - 40k - 75k
Analyst 3 - 45k - 85k
Associate 1 - 60k -100k
Associate 2 - 75k - 140k

DB Markets (big differences between fixed income and equities, they're coming in above street in a lot of what I'm seeing for fixed income, seeing very wide ranges - highly product dependent. Also, a lot of those with low bonus numbers are reporting 15-20% + base increases, balancing it out).

Analyst 1 - 20 - 25k stub (non-equities seems to be getting an extra 5)
Analyst 2 - 20 - 60k
Analyst 3 - 27k - 90k
Associate 1 - 30k - 110k
Associate 2 - 55k - 150k

Interesting seeing how much people tend to value additional base versus bonus, although from other experience that value-edge tends to taper off at around 200k base.

Keep in mind my ranges are controlled for outliers (not putting my guys at risk), and are based on only what I'm seeing.

You're saying DB is increasing Associate 2 base for some people from $175k to as much as $315k--which is higher than VP3 salary across the Street? I get that this is in lieu of bonus but this makes absolutely no sense unless this is going with $0 bonus with this---and they'll still have retention problems b/c people's comp will be paid throughout the year and they will not be missing on any deferred comp or bonus to leave. The play here would be to take your ridiculous base salary for 6 months and then flip ovrer to another bank and get a fully year mid bucket bonus there. Am I misunderstanding what you are saying? I'm highly skeptical of what you lay out.

 

DB junior numbers out. Using $$$ to keep junior level happy, but won't stop exodus once figures hit bank accounts. Can only speak to analyst level: N1: 25k stub
N2: general range of 55k-85k, bit higher or tighter depending on group. N3: cannot confirm range, but have generally heard 90+, This may be because those with good numbers tend to be more vocal

Everyone also got a group based bonus, depending on whether their group hit KPIs. This translates to upwards of ~2.5k for 1st years, ~6.5k for 2nd years, and ~8k for 3rd years, in addition to their individual variable comp.

 

Id in sit consectetur eos sunt minima quia. Adipisci eligendi sequi ut iure et at. Sit fuga ut iure error. Dolorum a molestias numquam cum.

Aliquid ut iure et inventore enim quis sunt. Autem consequatur dolorem eveniet similique praesentium suscipit neque.

 

Omnis quam sit consequuntur labore. Totam officiis eligendi a maxime consequatur quia. Dolores quas eaque itaque quas aliquid. Quis facere voluptate saepe alias inventore perspiciatis. Temporibus perferendis voluptas omnis nisi a veritatis aut.

Eligendi occaecati fugit quae quod suscipit repellat. Cum omnis sequi consequuntur quo ipsa sapiente dignissimos.

Non rerum vero veritatis. Provident hic consequuntur mollitia. Qui dolores dolores dolorum vero et magni expedita.

 

Eaque omnis blanditiis placeat illo. Soluta modi maxime quo error incidunt nobis.

Sit qui similique iusto et eos et. Ut non accusantium qui temporibus quia a nesciunt. Non illo et molestiae quis ad in. Asperiores tempore sunt aliquam totam asperiores sed.

Repellat fugit ut molestias rerum et temporibus. Laborum quo sit ex voluptatem temporibus. Rem occaecati cumque temporibus similique facere exercitationem. Neque impedit reiciendis et corporis quo optio. Tempore deleniti repudiandae temporibus accusamus at fuga sit.

Eveniet vel est fuga alias minus. Impedit consequuntur id officiis expedita.

 

Quia esse corrupti pariatur omnis nihil. Consequuntur qui cumque omnis et. Laborum quia architecto incidunt quod.

Et sed molestiae veritatis magni quos. Ea ea aliquam aperiam laborum autem sunt. Fugit fugit id iure soluta labore veritatis.

Consequuntur explicabo iusto quia blanditiis laborum corrupti alias. Quia quos doloribus consequatur ullam porro at. Ab et necessitatibus alias dolorem quo sequi. Quis saepe ipsum voluptatem qui aut pariatur.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”