How many hours a week do investment bankers work?
How Many Hours do Investment Bankers Work? Investment bankers work notoriously long hours, with the typical work week filling in 60-80 hours per week, and the occasional high-intensity work week that can push a banker to 100+ hours.
A Week in the Life of an Investment Banker
In an average week, you will not have much free time on weekdays. Many Analysts are in the office from 9 AM to 1 AM each day, and sometimes a bit less than that on Friday or other “slow days.”
Seniority plays a big role in vacation time as more experienced bankers are typically given more time off to recharge and take a break from the grueling demands of the job. Typically, entry-level investment bankers, for instance, can expect to receive around 10-15 days of vacation per year.
Investment Banking Associate Hours
Associates have somewhat better lives than Analysts, but “somewhat better” means 65-80 hours per week rather than 70-80+ hours. If you're in a capital markets group, the hours might be reduced by 10-15%.
The well-known bulge bracket banks like Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, and Bank of America tend to work analyst-level investment bankers at the industry standard scale of 60-80 hours per week.
Have you ever heard of Goldman Sachs' 15-minute rule at Goldman Sachs? It means you have to respond to an email in 15 minutes or less no matter what. It doesn't matter if you: - showering - hiking in the mountains - attending your son's wedding - saving someone from a drowning vehicle Unreasonable?
But people in IB (at least people I kind of know) work until about 2am every day and come into office between 9/9:30. So realistically they get about 5-6 hours of sleep (or even less in busier periods) and are expected to be functioning 100% every day.
- Chief financial officer (CFO)
- Investment banking.
- Hedge fund manager.
- Private equity associate.
- Actuary.
The short version here is: Yes, investment banking hours, especially in your first year or two, are always bad (think: 70-80 hours in the office per week). But junior bankers also tend to exaggerate their hours, often by not subtracting downtime or breaks during the day.
Investment banking analysts generally work 80-110 hour workweeks – expect to have very little free time outside of the office, especially during the first year on the job. (Yes, that includes most weekends!)
Do investment bankers get Saturdays off?
Yes, it has been part of the culture for many years. Only recently have big firms begin suggesting associates take the occasional weekend off. While investment banking is extreme, for most ambitious careers you will likely have to spend at least a few years devoted almost exclusively to work.
Can you become a millionaire as an investment banker? It is possible to become a millionaire as an investment banker, but it is not easy. Investment bankers typically earn salaries in the $200,000 to $700,000 range, with bonuses that can bring their total income up to several million dollars per year.
| Position Title | Typical Age Range | Total Compensation (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Associate | 25-35 | $225-$425K |
| Vice President (VP) | 28-40 | $450-$650K |
| Director / Senior Vice President (SVP) | 32-45 | $550-$750K |
| Managing Director (MD) | 35-50 | $600-$1300K+ |
The demand for coveted positions in investment banks consistently exceeds the available supply, making it a highly selective field. Statistics indicate that acceptance rates for top investment banks, such as JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, typically range between a mere 3% to 5%.
Investment banks impose a high fee based on the amount of the offering (usually 2-8% of the total deal). They earn millions of dollars in commissions as a result. They are also paid for setting an appropriate price and assembling a solid network of enthusiastic investors about the company's long-term prospects.
Age plays a huge factor in the decision-making process. Wall Street is an up-and-out industry. Unless the goal is senior management, most people in finance are out of there by age 50. That's not at just the biggest investment banks, either.
Ways to make a lot of money in this world
Sure, anybody can make a good living being a doctor or a lawyer or an investment banker where you can make ~$200-500K per year a few years after you finish with your studies, but you hit a ceiling very quickly unless you start your own practice (aka start your own business).
Investment banking is one of Wall Street's most coveted roles. It is also one of the hardest. It is no surprise that the average day in an investment banker's life is long and stressful. Those who manage to survive the adjustment period often go on to have long and financially rewarding careers.
Companies Considered Too Big to Fail
Bank of America Corp. The Bank of New York Mellon Corp. Citigroup Inc. The Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
Working at Goldman Sachs can be difficult and stressful, especially in roles that require long hours and intense workloads.
How much PTO does Goldman Sachs give?
The investment bank's new policy, announced in April and rolled out a few weeks ago, gives senior employees unlimited vacation days and requires all employees to take 15 days off, a move that firm leadership has framed as an attempt to scale back on norms that have left bankers depleted and exhausted.
On average, a first-year investment banker makes a 5-digit salary, in the range of $70,000 – $90,000, while a 7-digit salary is considered above average and is difficult to achieve for most people in their careers.
Investment banking is very well paid, but sign-on bonuses and a healthy pay packet come at a price. To survive as an investment banker, you need to have a high stress threshold. You also need to be willing to say goodbye to your social life for a few years.
| Position Title | Typical Age Range | Base Salary (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst | 22-27 | $100-$125K |
| Associate | 25-35 | $175-$225K |
| Vice President (VP) | 28-40 | $250-$300K |
| Director / Senior Vice President (SVP) | 32-45 | $300-$350K |
Private equity jobs are some of the most desirable in finance. They're also some of the most difficult to get into. Private equity funds are investors and they're in it for the long term.
