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After years of restraint following the 2008 global financial crisis, Wall Street is handing CEOs a record payout. Chief executive officers at the top US banks all received annual compensation of at least $40 million, with their total pay surpassing records set in 2006 and 2021.  The payouts reflect a banner year for the banking industry, with…

Wall Street banks’ bonuses for investment bankers have increased by 10-15% at most firms, but senior dealmakers contacted by Financial News said that payouts have underwhelmed after a banner year in 2025.   Alan Johnson, who heads Wall Street compensation consultants Johnson Associates, said that those in advisory roles received a 10-15% uplift, with some receiving increases of…

Equity traders on Wall Street saw their incentive pools rise 15–25% in 2025, according to Chris Connors, Managing Director at Johnson Associates, with top performers sometimes exceeding that range.   The surge reflected both strong markets and intense competition for talent. Connors explained that competitive pressures from prop trading firms and market makers pushed pay higher, particularly for equity…

Morgan Stanley has increased bonuses for London investment bankers by 10-15% as Wall Street investment banks kick off what is expected to be a bumper year for compensation.   In the bonuses paid in 2025, Morgan Stanley increased payouts for European bankers by 20-25%, Financial News reported. This followed a reduction of 10-15% a year earlier. …

The countdown to Wall Street’s bonus season ends today — and the sums are expected to be big.  This year, financiers will probably be pretty happy, since year-end bonuses are expected to rise across almost every line of business, according to a November report by compensation consultancy Johnson Associates. Traders, who could see up to 25% increases,…

While 2025 isn’t expected to be that disappointing, it could be rather ho-hum, with bonuses, on average, expected to rise 2.5% to 5%, according to consulting firm Johnson Associates. Last year, insurance workers were expecting increases of about 5% to 10%, on average.  At property and casualty insurers, bonuses are expected to be 3% to 5% higher, based…

With bonus season just a few months away, corporate bond traders are one of the few groups on Wall Street expected to see their overall compensation slip for this year.  Overall pay for US traders in the investment-grade bond market is expected to fall by 6.6%, while compensation in the high-yield market is seen dropping…

The hottest job on Wall Street right now isn’t a trader or dealmaker. It belongs to the human minds who specialize in building the digital ones.  Recruiters and executives across financial services companies told Business Insider the result is a full-blown talent war pitting Wall Street banks against hedge funds, private asset managers, and Silicon Valley startups.  The senior-level…

Year-end bonuses are projected to rise across nearly every business line, according to a new report released Wednesday by compensation consultancy Johnson Associates, with traders being the big winners — who could see up to 25% increases — followed by mergers advisors and wealth managers. Only a handful of sectors, like real estate and venture capital, were…

As private market professionals eagerly await year-end bonuses, a top Wall Street compensation consultant warns against chasing the biggest annual payout.  For the second consecutive year, secondaries fund managers will receive bonuses that are 10% or higher than last year, while private equity and venture capital bonuses will be mostly flat, according to new data…