Investment Banker Salary Guide and Career Outlook


The investment banker salary in the US is $92,334 per year, while in Canada it barely stands at C$60,000 ($47,010). The same professionals living in the UK make £51,116 ($67,712) per year, coming near that are those working in Australia with AU$85,579 ($64,562) per year.
In New Zealand, an investment banker makes about NZ$86,000 ($58,349) per year while people with the same job barely make Rs 844,970 ($12,996) per year in India. Investment bankers from South Africa win around R446,715 ($31,543) per year. Below, we will take a look at the main factors influencing the salary of investment bankers.

How Much Does an Investment Banker Make per Year by Country?

Investment Banker Salary US Canada UK Australia New Zealand India South Africa
Hourly Pay $38.67 C$28.84 ($22.60)* £24.57 ($32.55)* AU$41.14 ($31.03)* NZ$41.34 ($28.05)* Rs 406.23 ($6.24)* R 214.76 ($15.16)*
Annual Pay $92,334 C$60,000 ($47,010) £51,116 ($67,712) AU$85,579 ($64,562) NZ$86,000 ($58,349) Rs 844,970 ($12,996) R446,715 ($31,543)

* Hourly wage was extrapolated from the annual salary.

Investment Banker Salary Influencing Factors

The salary range of an investment banker varies depending on location, company, and most importantly on experience. Investment bankers work for multinational banking companies which deliver financial services and solutions for government entities, organizations, and other companies. The information we have here is from Payscale.com.

1. Location

How Much Does an Investment Banker Professional Make in the US?

Based on location, investment bankers are best paid in San Francisco as the average salary is about $139,000 per year. Also, investment bankers working in Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, and New York have annual wages ranging between $123,000 and $129,000. Furthermore, the investment banker salary in San Diego, Columbus, Seattle, and Los Angeles is between $99,000 and $110,000. The lowest salaries are in Minneapolis, Tampa, and Phoenix where investment bankers make between $86,000 and $90,000 per year.

Per Year Per Hour
Minimum $50,927 $24.48*
Maximum $206,084 $99.07*
Bonus/Tip $141,914 $68.22*
Overtime No additional pay No additional pay
Total Pay $60,402 to $340,760

A (*) indicates that the hourly rate was not available and was extrapolated from the annual pay.

Investment Banker Salary by State

Below, we have prepared a table highlighting the annual median investment banker salary across the United States:

State Median Annual Salary
Arizona $84,000
Arkansas $104,000
California $110,000
Colorado $91,000
Connecticut $118,000
Delaware $90,000
District of Columbia $104,000
Florida $95,000
Georgia $117,000
Hawaii $63,000
Idaho $67,000
Illinois $116,000
Indiana $98,000
Iowa $101,000
Kansas $94,000
Kentucky $89,000
Louisiana $92,000
Maine $91,000
Maryland $105,000
Massachusetts $123,000
Michigan $104,000
Minnesota $90,000
Mississippi $107,000
Missouri $101,000
Montana $86,000
Nebraska $75,000
Nevada $78,000
New Hampshire $101,000
New Jersey $111,000
New Mexico $89,000
New York $128,000
North Carolina $98,000
North Dakota $91,000
Ohio $98,000
Oklahoma $95,000
Oregon $99,000
Pennsylvania $99,000
Puerto Rico $99,000
Rhode Island $93,000
South Carolina $101,000
South Dakota $77,000
Tennessee $95,000
Texas $99,000
Utah $80,000
Vermont $91,000
Virginia $103,000
Washington $106,000
West Virginia $97,000
Wisconsin $91,000
Wyoming $85,000
US Annual Wage $92,334
US Hourly Wage $38.67

How Much Does an Investment Banker Professional Make in Canada?

Per Year Per Hour
Minimum C$39,355 C$18.92*
Maximum C$102,129 C$49.10*
Bonus/Tip C$77,281 C$37,154*
Overtime No additional pay No additional pay
Total Pay C$39,866 to C$174,524

The (*) also indicates that the hourly rate was not available and was extrapolated from the annual pay.

How Much Does an Investment Banker Professional Make in the UK?

Per Year Per Hour
Minimum £27,617 £13.27*
Maximum £123,341 £59.29*
Bonus/Tip £49,833 £23.95*
Overtime No additional pay No additional pay
Total Pay £29,590 to £148,994

The (*) indicates that the hourly pay was extrapolated from the annual pay.

How Much Does an Investment Banker Professional Make in Australia?

Per Year Per Hour
Minimum AU$57,000 AU$27.40*
Maximum AU$155,470 AU$74.74*
Bonus/Tip AU$100,841 No additional pay
Overtime No additional pay AU$35.00
Total Pay AU$57,000 to AU$253,513

A (*) also indicates that the hourly rate was extrapolated from the annual pay.

How Much Does an Investment Banker Professional Make in New Zealand?

Per Year Per Hour
Minimum NZ$46,452 NZ$22.33*
Maximum NZ$130,000 NZ$62.50*
Bonus/Tip NZ$11,000 NZ$5.28
Overtime No additional pay No additional pay
Total Pay NZ$46,452 to NZ$130,000

The (*) also indicates that the hourly rate was not available and was extrapolated from the annual pay.

How Much Does an Investment Banker Professional Make in India?

Per Year Per Hour
Minimum Rs 302,198 Rs 145.28*
Maximum Rs 3,541,992 Rs 1,703*
Bonus/Tip Rs 597,997 Rs 287.50
Overtime No additional pay No additional pay
Total Pay Rs 302,198 to Rs 3,634,556

A (*) also indicates that the hourly rate was not available and was extrapolated from the annual pay.

How Much Does an Investment Banker Professional Make in South Africa?

Per Year Per Hour
Minimum R194,856 R93.68*
Maximum R1,223,393 R588.169*
Bonus/Tip R600,000 R288.46*
Overtime No additional pay No additional pay
Total Pay R268,964 to R1,600,483

The (*) indicates that the hourly rate was not available and was extrapolated from the annual pay.

2. Experience

The employee’s experience is the most influencing factor in establishing the median salary of investment bankers. People from the US that have an average experience of maximum 5 years earn an annual salary of $93,000. On the other hand, more experienced investment bankers with 5 to 10 years in the field and the ones with 10 to 20 years have a salary of around $146,000 per year. After that their salary sees a significant rise until late-career when they can win even $228,000 every year.

Investment bankers in Canada when at an entry-level position can make about C$63,000 per year, their salary goes up as years go by, reaching C$110,000 at mid-career and peeking at C$140,000 after 10-20 years on the job. After that, the salary sees a decline to C$102,000 after more than 2o years.

The salary evolution depending on experience is different for professionals living in the UK. While the beginner‘s salary starts from ₤66,000 per year, it goes lower after 5-10 years, at ₤62,000 yearly. Then it sees an increase at ₤127,000 annually, for experienced employees that have 10-20 years on the job, while more experienced professionals with more than 20 years in the field can make around ₤250,000 per year.

3. Industry

Investment bankers in the US win profit sharing of up to $194,888 and a commission of up to $100,000 yearly. While those in Canada can make a profit sharing of up to C$1,500 yearly. Same professionals from the UK make between £204.26 and £117,446 in profit sharing. While those from Australia get a profit sharing of AU$1,030 and up to AU$48,479 yearly. Indian investment bankers make Rs 40,000 per year from profit sharing, while those in South Africa make R7,000 yearly.

  • The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. – offers the highest salaries for investment bankers ranging between $116,000 and $225,000 per year based on the person’s experience.
  • P. Morgan Chase & Co. (JPMCC) – also comes with a generous annual salary of between $98,000 and $160,000.

 Schedule & Working Hours

Investment bankers work around 50 hours per week in an office environment. In addition, their work schedule is sometimes flexible so they can organize client appointments.

Bonuses & Benefits

Besides their salary, investment bankers from the US also win a bonus of $4,878 to $141,914 per year. While those in Canada make in bonus C$1,922 to C$77,281 yearly. Same professionals win bonuses of £1,927 to £49,833 in the UK and between AU$5,087 and AU$100,841 in Australia. The bonus for the same employees is at NZ$11,000 per year in New Zealand, between Rs 4,848 and Rs 597,997 in India, and R8,500 to R600,000 in South Africa.

Country United States Canada United Kingdom Australia New Zealand India South Africa
Medical 90 83 61 63 74 61
Dental 71 58 25 11 5 11
Vision 62 33 21 11 5 6
None 7 17 36 37 26 39

The table above presents percents of the healthcare benefits by country. And a (–) indicates that there is no health care information available.

Career Outlook

Based on BLS statistics, the employment rate is expected to increase by 11 percent by 2026, that is faster than the average for all occupations. Plus, there is a growing interest in financial products as most companies are searching for new strategies and projects to invest their capital. However, the competition will still be quite strong because a lot of people are interested in pursuing this career.

Besides being paid on a monthly basis, investment bankers from the US also receive profit sharing from their employers, as well as commission. In addition, they also benefit from medical coverage, dental and vision insurance, as well as bonuses, that can be as generous as the annual salary.

Conclusion

To sum up, this occupation is a secure career choice that comes with unique benefits such as profit sharing and bonuses. Better still, the annual investment banker salary is quite motivating, so job satisfaction is high regardless of where you live.  If you are interested in working in this field, you can also look at related jobs like the stock broker or financial advisor.

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