Morgan Stanley is one of the top investment banks in the world, known for its high salaries but also extremely high pressure. As an investment banker at Morgan Stanley, you can expect a base salary of around $100k USD for an analyst straight out of university, going up to over $500k for a managing director. However, you will be working 80+ hours per week in a highly competitive environment.
base salaries at morgan stanley range from $100k to over $500k
According to the articles, a summer intern at Morgan Stanley can make around $50,000 RMB ($7,000 USD) for a 10 week internship. This suggests analysts make around $140,000 base. Associates can make around $250k, VPs around $400k, and MDs over $500k base salary. However, total comp includes large bonuses that can more than double total pay.
large bonuses can significantly increase total compensation
On top of the base salaries, investment bankers receive big bonuses that are a large percentage of their overall compensation. For example, first year analysts may get a bonus equal to their base pay. Bonuses increase substantially as you move up – managing directors can get millions in bonus.
expect to work 80+ hours per week in a high pressure environment
While the pay is very high, the hours are long and the environment is extremely competitive. Junior bankers often work 80-100 hours per week on deals, and have to be available 24/7 for client requests. The high stress and long hours leads to high burnout.
technology skills like python programming are becoming more important
As technology becomes more important in finance, programming skills are becoming critical even for investment bankers. Banks like Morgan Stanley are pushing employees to learn Python and other programming languages. People without technical skills will struggle to advance.
In summary, Morgan Stanley offers very high salaries with base pay ranging from $100k to over $500k, plus large bonuses. However, investment bankers work brutal hours under intense pressure, leading many to burnout. Technical skills are also becoming required to advance.