25 Best Investment Banks to Work for in 2022
Published: Jan 25, 2022
Today, we're excited to release our 2022 Banking 25, a ranking of the best investment banking firms to work for in North America. The ranking is based on a survey of more than 3,600 banking professionals. Conducted this past fall, the survey asked banking professionals to rate their firms in several workplace categories, including culture, compensation, hours, training, work/life balance, overall satisfaction, and business outlook. They were also asked to rate firms other than their own in terms of prestige. A weighted formula, which includes these internal quality of life scores and external prestige scores, was used to create the Banking 25.
The 10 Best Investment Banks to Work for Based on Our Annual Banking Survey Are:
2. Evercore
5. Lazard
6. PJT Partners
10. Greenhill
No. 1 Centerview Offers “Top-of-Street Compensation”
In addition to ranking No. 1 in the Banking 25, Centerview ranks No. 1 in four workplace categories: Compensation, Culture, Formal Training, and Informal Training. The firm also ranks No. 5 in Prestige, with bankers at peer firms calling Centerview “elite” and “the top dog in the U.S.,” with “great pay” and “significant momentum.”
Meanwhile, Centerview professionals tell us that the firm has a “great, collaborative culture,” and that “colleagues are genuine, interesting, and generally great people to work with.” They also say that Centerview offers junior bankers “early responsibility,” “top-of-Street compensation,” and “challenging, interesting work.”
No. 2 Evercore Has “the Best Talent on the Street”
Evercore again ranks No. 2 overall and holds onto its No. 4 ranking in Prestige. In addition, it ranks No. 3 in Formal Training, and No. 3 in three out of four of our diversity categories: Overall Diversity, Racial & Ethnic Diversity, Diversity for Women, and LGBTQ+ Diversity. Peer bankers say Evercore is “a very strong firm,” “the best all around,” a “prestigious boutique,” “focused,” “on-point,” and “growing at a fast clip.”
Meanwhile, Evercore insiders tell us that the firm has “the best talent on the Street,” and a “collaborative, positive, supportive environment.” In addition, its “deal flow is strong,” and it offers “a high level of responsibility,” “many career growth opportunities,” and “very generous salaries and bonuses.”
No. 3 Moelis Has a “High Energy, Innovative, Collaborative Team”
After skyrocketing seven places in the overall rankings last year, Moelis holds steady this year at No. 3. Moelis also ranks No. 1 in 13 workplace categories: Benefits, Business Outlook, Client Interaction, Firm Leadership, Hours, Internal Mobility, Promotion Policies, Quality of Work, Relationships with Managers, Overall Satisfaction, Vacation Policies, Wellness, and Work/Life Balance. In addition, Moelis again ranks No. 7 in Prestige.
This year, peer bankers tell us that Moelis is an “enterprising,” “prestigious boutique.” Meanwhile, Moelis insiders say the firm has an “intellectually curious, high energy, innovative, collaborative team,” and offers junior bankers “significant exposure to senior leadership,” “a lot of live deal work,” “early responsibility,” and “generous compensation.”
Loop Capital, a “Minority-Owned Firm with a Deep Culture of Understanding,” Ranks No. 1 in All Four Diversity Rankings
Chicago-based Loop Capital Markets, which ranks No. 19 overall, sweeps our Diversity Rankings this year. Impressively, the firm ranks No. 1 in all four of our diversity categories: Overall Diversity, Racial & Ethnic Diversity, Diversity for Women, and LGBTQ+ Diversity. According to one Loop Capital insider, “Loop is a minority-owned firm with a deep culture of understanding and diversity.” Another insider tells us, “The firm’s internship program hires intentionally from city colleges and HBCUs. And our CEO is African-American, our president is an African-American woman, our head of corporate investment banking is an African-American woman, our head of HR is an African-American woman, and the head of our short-term desk is an Asian woman. We’re like the United Nations at Loop. There’s so much diversity across the business.”
Bankers Comment on Hours, Comp, Work/Life Balance, and Overall Satisfaction
In another year of change and uncertainty—and among one of Wall Street’s busiest and most profitable years in history—many junior bankers felt overworked and underappreciated. Our new banking company profiles include direct quotes from banking professionals about hours, work/life balance, overall satisfaction, compensation, quality of life, wellness, and more. Our survey captures how junior bankers feel their firms have treated them this past year, and how top banking firms have (or haven’t) responded to the backlash from junior bankers about their long hours and heavy workloads.
View the entire Banking 25 Rankings, Prestige Rankings, Quality of Life Rankings, and Diversity Rankings.