Assume that you’re a recent top 15 MBA graduate from one of Stern/UCLA/Darden.
What is the lowest all-in comp that you would accept given that you weren’t able to secure an MBA level offer through on-campus recruiting?
For a low cost of living area, is it a bad idea to take a low ball offer from a buyside firm or is getting experience important even with an undergraduate level salary?
160k
In a low cost of living area like Atlanta or St. Louis? 160K seems like NYC/SF type pay.
solid experience + lower salary >>> higher salary + mid/back office or misc job
Yeah, I’m leaning towards taking the offer in St. Louis. The experience will be solid but the all-in pay appears to be about 40% less than what my peers will be making in consulting and bulge bracket research shops in large metros. Is that too low?
We dont know if its too low without actual numbers b. Based on where I live, my salary, the salaries I presume (although some confirmed) of top MBA’s at my firm…adjusting for cost of living in St. Louis…your comparable salary there should be around 90K-100K.
yes that’s right. cost of living adjustments can be quite large
Is that salary only or are you talking the all-in comp including bonus?
Do I have previous work experience? What was I making before?
What went wrong with on-campus recruiting?
Atlanta area I would say $80k absolute minimum with an MBA.
If it makes you feel any better I found St. Louis to be very cheap. Rent especially.
St. Louis is still cheap. Really cheap.
St. Louis sucks balls. If you’re going to work in a city in Missouri come to KC. We can’t find enough qualified people to hire…seriously. Plus, our BBQ is way, way better.
St. Louis…that would mean either Wells, Stifel, Ed Jones (as an analyst, not advisor), or one of those silly consultants like Asset Consulting Group, Cardinal Investments or Summit Strategies. I’ve worked with all those guys except Wells. Screw that.
I will concede, Ed Jones has some of the brightest research analysts of any broker-dealer be they wirehouse or independent. Makes sense given the size of their home-office model portfolios. But, you still have to say you work for Edward Jones…
St. Louis has a few more places… NISA, RW Baird, Piper Jaffray, probably more. I know Ed Jones catches a lot of flack, but their analysts have it great around here. Good work/life balance, perks of working at “one of the best companies to work for” in the country, equity stakes in the firm, etc… I think I could deal with having to say I work at Ed Jones given all the above without regret or shame.
However, I love KC. And, yes, KC BBQ is vastly superior to anything in St. Louis.
Just like penny stocks; cheap cities are cheap for a reason.
That’s quite the overgeneralization.
http://www.forbes.com/business-schools/list/
Judgeing from the top 11-20 schools, it looks like $150k is a good rough estimate. is crazy some of them have really terrible salaries. 68k for rollins. das crazy.