How many hours do investment bankers work? (2024)

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.

Many Analysts might be working more like 80-90 hours per week rather than 70-80. That may not sound significant, but it's the difference between 12.5 hours per day for 6 days with one day off and 12.1 hours per day with no days off.

Many investment bankers work long hours and some weekends, but others don't work as often. One reason is that some investment bankers are senior-level employees who don't work as many hours because they already possess enough experience and expertise to complete their tasks without supervision.

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.

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.”

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?

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.

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.

Average Hours Worked per Week: 98 Hours. Average Analyst Bed Time: 3 AM. Average Hours Slept per Night: 5 Hours.

How many hours does a first year investment banker work?

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!)

The reason is that the investment bankers are entrusted with the responsibility of managing the investments, and thus, a large amount of money of the clients remains at stake. Thus, there is a huge responsibility that they are required to meet.

Yes, investment bankers can work remotely, especially when they are not required to attend in-person meetings, conferences, or client presentations.

The lucrative and fast-paced career of an investment banker is a highly competitive one. For instance, in a recent year, 236,000 applicants competed for roughly 3,500 internships at Goldman Sachs. This is common across the industry where acceptance rates for programs are typically less than 2%.

But if you're 30, graduated from university at 22, and have 8 years of full-time experience, along with a mid-level position at a large company, it will be more difficult. It's still possible, but the success probability is much lower.

The position requires bankers to be competent communicators with the ability to manage their schedules effectively. In a typical workday, an investment banker may dedicate the morning to financial research, the afternoon to meetings with clients and colleagues and the evening to the creation of pitch books.

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.

Working at Goldman Sachs can be difficult and stressful, especially in roles that require long hours and intense workloads.

Companies Considered Too Big to Fail

Bank of America Corp. The Bank of New York Mellon Corp. Citigroup Inc. The Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

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.

At what age do investment bankers retire?

Age Range: It's nearly impossible to reach this level before your early 30's, so we'll say 35-50 for the range. Few MDs continue working until the official retirement age (65-70); it's a stressful, high-pressure job, and past a certain net worth, it's just not worth it.

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.

What is the average salary that a finance major can expect? People who have a bachelor's degree in finance take in $124,000 a year on average, according to data collected by Comparably.

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).