Can I become a billionaire as an investment banker? (2024)

FAQs

Can I become a billionaire as an investment banker? ›

And so in that space, there are plenty of billionaires. So if you start out as an investment banker and become a hedge fund manager you've got a decent shot at becoming a billionaire.

Entry-level jobs quickly provide six-figure salaries. Senior investment bankers can earn tens of millions of dollars every year. Getting to the top of the investment banking field is a multi-step process that requires a combination of education, ambition, hard work, skill, experience, connections, and often good luck.

Investment Banking Director Salary + Bonus: There's a bit of a bump over VP-level compensation, but not necessarily a dramatic one; the typical range for total compensation might be $800K to $1.2 million per year, with the majority in the bonus (as of 2022).

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).

How can you earn a six-figure salary at top investment banking firms without any experience in 2023. 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.

1. JP Morgan Private Bank. “J.P. Morgan Private Bank is known for its investment services, which makes them a great option for those with millionaire status,” Kullberg said. “With J.P. Morgan, each client is given access to a panel of experts, including experienced strategists, economists and advisors.”

Investment bankers make money through the fees charged to their clients. As discussed above, this includes underwriting fees for arranging the sale of securities and advisory fees for providing strategic guidance.

In the U.S., the top investment banking companies include the Big Four Banks — JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo.

In the US, the investment banker salary pattern is similarly huge starting at USD 85-95K at the beginners level. There are several other perks and bonuses like a signing bonus of $5-15k and a year-end bonus of $20K-30K. The Investment banker salary at the associate level in the US may go up to $140-180k.

Do investment bankers have a good life? ›

An investment banker's life is considered to have long working hours, working on weekends, a lot of hard work, and little sleep.

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.

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.

If you're a good developer, with reasonable people skills and a willingness to learn the business side, then becoming a millionaire in banking is pretty straightforward with a decent saving strategy. It's just a matter of time.

Investment banking recruiting is an extremely competitive process, so you'll want to do whatever you can to stand out during the recruitment process. Banks value the quality of your job experience, and the quality of your schools attended, and how hard you network or “hustle” for the role.