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The truth about analyst bonuses

5 August 2008

Sarah Butcher

Most banks have now announced bonuses for junior staff. And despite rumours that zeros were widespread at some firms, the surprising news is that on the whole payouts in corporate finance don’t appear to have been that bad at all.

“Most second and third-year analysts at bulge brackets have received 100% of salary,” says Logan Naidu at recruiters The Cornell Partnership. “Last year’s payouts were generally in excess of 150%, so this year’s are down substantially, but they’re still good in mere mortals’ terms.”

Abid Hussein, a private equity consultant at recruitment firm EM Financial Services, says payouts are fairly uniform across top firms, but that the differential between top and mediocre performers has increased.

“While top performers got 100% payouts, rumour has it that one or two bottom performers received as little as £4k-£7k,” he says.

Hussein adds that both Goldman and Morgan Stanley paid bonuses that were 15-25% more than other banks at analyst level.

Hussein adds that a couple of banks are now offering analysts stock options: “This would have been unheard of a few years ago.”

Bonuses for top ranked analysts, investment banking, 2008

First-year analysts: £35k-37k base; £16k-35k bonus (up to £40.5k at Goldman and Morgan Stanley).

Second-year analysts: £45k base; £20k-£45k bonus (up to £55k at Goldman and Morgan Stanley).

Third-year analysts: £50k base; £40k-£60k bonus (up to £70k at Goldman and Morgan Stanley).

Source: EM Financial Services

Comments (24)

Wow so even on the front office quant side bonuses are pretty low compared to the numbers bounded around in this article for analysts at Ib's . im surprised i thought HF's especially someone like Man group would be top of the pay and bonus tree.

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Comments (24)

  • What areas of banking these numbers refer to?...Looking at numbers my guess is in M&A/Trading/e.t.c..what about for Analysts associate work in FO credit?

    gopanb 05 Aug 2008

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  • These numbers must be M&A/IBD only, where there is terrible bonus progression between 1st and 3rd year. In Sales & Trading, 2nd/3rd yr analysts still make bonuses a MULTIPLE of their salary. £80-90k was a typical 2nd year bonus here for Sales & Trading this year, whereas virtually everyone got 6 figures same time last year.

    Henry 05 Aug 2008

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  • Sorry - it's M&A/corp finance. Now clarified in the text.

    Sarah, Editor, eFinancialCareers 05 Aug 2008

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  • No problem at all. Any numbers for Analysts work in FO credit fixed income and derviatives? also any numbers for Tier 2 banks?

    gopanb 05 Aug 2008

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  • What about bonuses in FO equity research?

    Pillboy 05 Aug 2008

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  • Interesting article...

    Does anyone have any idea what the typical bonus level ( if any ) is for a back office at large hedge fund like Man group as i'll be starting as a grad in october and have nothing to base any expectations on! Better or worse than ib?

    Cheers!

    Chris Neal 05 Aug 2008

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  • Bonuses it's like a foreign language for junior staff maybe not all but for me it's just increasing my tax

    abmmaz0 05 Aug 2008

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  • Chris Neal - any back office job is bound to have a bonus structure lower than a front office job. however being a large hedge fund, the gap between front and back office may be shortened.

    Jud 05 Aug 2008

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  • I have to disagree as I made a bonus of around £35,000 for a stellar peice of work i completed

    Casual Keith 05 Aug 2008

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  • Hi Gopanb. If you're succesful team you can probably expect a bonus of 100-150% of basic salary. This doesn't apply to structured credit.

    Tom Robson, Selby Jennings 05 Aug 2008

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