What bonus can you expect for a mid-market IBG Associate position?

I was recently offered an Associate position out of grad school at a mid-market IB for M&A. They indicated the bonus will be competitive and significant, but didn't really give an indication as to how much that would be.

Any ideas what I could expect? 25, 50% of salary? More, less?

14 Comments
 

It's entirely dependent upon deal flow, deal size, headcount, expenses, etc... If you work for a small shop that closes just a couple of deals per year your bonus could fluctuate pretty dramatically. It may only take one or two decent size deals to cover the firm's fixed costs for the year. Any other deals that close beyond that are simply gravy and your bonus increases at a parabolic rate.

IMO, for a reputable shop in an average year you could expect somewhere around 40-50%.

 

$80k actually seems a bit low, but I know some places have restructured the way they pay out total comp...but location and culture factor in too. Depending on what market you are in, I would think that your bonus should be 100%+ of your base. I mean, I know a 3rd year analyst that makes roughly that much at a similar size/focused bank.

Did you get much of a sign-on bonus (if you don't mind sharing)? I will probably be going to business school next year and will likely end up doing the associate in IB path, assuming I can't find what I want on the buy side...so I just want to have an idea of what to expect.

Regards

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so." - Ronald Reagan
 

Thanks for the insight guys. I think I am still going to take this position over a non-IB offer that I also hold. Ultimately, that is what I want to do.

I come from a non-target with a non-business undergrad degree and worked in Supply Chain pre-MBA. I wasn't expecting to hit a home run since my only relevant finance and IB experience is through a recent internship. It probably helps that the city is far cheaper than NYC and cheaper than Chicago for cost-of-living.

I'm hoping I can at least pull around 75% or so of the salary. The MD did tell me they would be very competitive on that front b/c he doesn't want me to bolt after a year or two. Then again, they probably all say that.

Again, appreciate the responses.

 

Eum facere vitae pariatur aut nihil nulla. Laudantium sed consequatur excepturi molestiae aut et. Vel officia saepe et enim ipsa. Nulla nostrum quia et quisquam. Magni quia ipsa ex suscipit.

Id voluptatem tempore est cumque laborum. Quo inventore iusto rem neque voluptas qui temporibus. Necessitatibus pariatur explicabo aut veritatis suscipit incidunt occaecati dolorem. Fugiat beatae aspernatur dolorum eos. Illum consequuntur natus nesciunt et. Rerum sit modi optio est doloribus et aperiam illo. Autem modi ut sit sit et asperiores aut.

Non dolores odio autem neque et rerum est. Neque voluptatem beatae aut quia alias sed quis.

Odit beatae aliquam quos aliquam nam adipisci ullam. Enim quisquam quo consectetur est est neque ut. Nesciunt ullam quo numquam excepturi voluptates culpa perferendis qui. Temporibus cupiditate praesentium quis ea molestias. Eaque rerum repudiandae qui reprehenderit delectus saepe accusamus. Aut facere delectus distinctio soluta.

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 (65) $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
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
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...”