If you decide to stay in banking, how hard is it to become one of the top guys.

I was on youtube looking at the hearings from '09 and heard a few guys speak. The talkers were employees from Goldman Sachs and they obviously had top jobs at the firm if they were chosen to speak to congress. My question is, how hard is it to get a top job at a bank(not necessarily Goldman tier)? If not wondering about being the CEO or jobs at that level. Im talking about jobs you can get at around 35-40 years old. For example, "Executive Director of Structured Products Group Trading", Managing Director(MD), Partner, VP, etc. If you want to stay in banking and choose to stay, will they keep moving you up until you leave(if you actually do a decent job and get shit done) or is it competitive and after associate, only about 25% of bakers who want to move up actually moves up? Please don't mind my ignorance as I'm not in the industry and will be going to Stanford next year, so I have a long journey ahead of me. Edit: How much do you get paid as a pre-MBA associate(just moved up from analyst)? I hear all-in was $200k-300k and I've heard between 250k-500k.

19 Comments
 

Stanford MBA? Stanford janitor? what. I thought you just moved up from an analyst role but you said you are not in the industry. Not following here.

 
oldmansacksI see a lot of VPs in their early 30s. the process is more structured than other industries and so you can expect to move up in 3-4year stages. Met someone the other day who is a 33 year old director at a BB.

Sounds old for a director to me.

The youngest MD's can be 31 years old (22-25 analyst, 25-28 associate, 28-31 VP, 31- MD).

 
Schwarzmanegger
oldmansacksI see a lot of VPs in their early 30s. the process is more structured than other industries and so you can expect to move up in 3-4year stages. Met someone the other day who is a 33 year old director at a BB.

Sounds old for a director to me.

The youngest MD's can be 31 years old (22-25 analyst, 25-28 associate, 28-31 VP, 31- MD).

Chances of making it past the associate level are slim without an MBA (for your average joe anyways). Add another 2 years to your 31 for B-School, and you get 33 for a MD on the fast track.

 
Best Response
Wharton2GS
Schwarzmanegger
oldmansacksI see a lot of VPs in their early 30s. the process is more structured than other industries and so you can expect to move up in 3-4year stages. Met someone the other day who is a 33 year old director at a BB.

Sounds old for a director to me.

The youngest MD's can be 31 years old (22-25 analyst, 25-28 associate, 28-31 VP, 31- MD).

Chances of making it past the associate level are slim without an MBA (for your average joe anyways). Add another 2 years to your 31 for B-School, and you get 33 for a MD on the fast track.

That plus you don't go straight from VP to MD anyway. But there are (very few) 31 year old MDs.
 

I am sure there are some who cant cut it, but most of the people who drop out do so on their own accord. Even at the MD level it is not an easy job in terms of lifestyle and sourcing deals rather than executing are two very different job functions. I have met and worked with MDs who were in their very early 30s and grinded their way up as an analyst.

 

If you are good in sucking ass and ass licking.. you don't need to be good in your job.. often your ranking and your promotion is determined by subjective measures.. e.g. goodlooking useless women who are never there after 9pm get top ranked whilst men just get average ratings working allnighters every week...

 

I know in the older generation (close to retirement age), making it to MD without a MBA is doable and has been done. I'm not so sure about that same career path for people who are analysts now however. Most banker bios I've seen have had some sort of higher ed, like MBA or JD even.

 
SlumstoCPWIf you go get your MBA, will you still have a job at the firm or will you have to find another?

Usually if you're getting your MBA it's because you want to leave the firm you're working in or they aren't willing to give you a promotion...

 

Quisquam libero placeat aut eos inventore. Nihil id eaque maxime aut maiores voluptas aut. Possimus eligendi eos praesentium corporis modi et et. Voluptate aut ut et aliquid.

Magnam quia ut assumenda aspernatur voluptas minus autem. Dolor illum quis consequuntur quis. Aspernatur quibusdam distinctio ut corrupti. Consequatur magnam inventore sunt quibusdam. Minima sint libero dolor ipsa. Aut quam doloremque ea quas labore repudiandae consequatur. Impedit id id maiores ut.

Iure illo earum omnis et nam dolor rerum similique. Ut incidunt quo mollitia saepe architecto ea. Praesentium aliquam voluptatem fuga neque consequatur doloremque.

Illum id a voluptas sit ipsam vel quibusdam. Perspiciatis nostrum odio consequuntur quibusdam omnis numquam recusandae. Quia consequatur atque tenetur iure nihil. Et pariatur culpa fuga nulla suscipit amet beatae. Consequuntur quae est tempora qui.

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 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

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 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”