How to hire an investment banker

How to hire an investment banker, step by step

Here's a step-by-step investment banker hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an investment banker job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new investment banker
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an investment banker do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your investment banker job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an investment banker for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An investment banker's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, investment bankers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents investment banker salaries for various positions.

   Type of Investment Banker	Description	Hourly rate
   Investment Banker	Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents connect buyers and sellers in financial markets. They sell securities to individuals, advise companies in search of investors, and conduct trades.	$45-132
   Personal Banker	A personal banker is responsible for managing the customers' financial records and assisting them in various banking transactions. Personal bankers' duties also include handling customers' inquiries for financial plans, understanding the banking and financial industry principles, processing applications, verifying account details, and offering bank products based on the customers' needs... Show more	$13-23
   Banker	A banker is primarily responsible for assisting clients with their banking needs, particularly when withdrawing, depositing, and paying. Aside from handling transactions, bankers are also mainly responsible for opening and closing accounts, processing requirements, verifying the validity of documentation, recommending services and other financial options to clients, and resolving inquiries and concerns... Show more	$9-46

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Financial Services
   • Discounted Cash Flow
   • Capital Markets
   • Financial Statements
   • Client Relationships
   • Securities
   • Mergers
   • Financial Models
   • Due Diligence
   • Real Estate
   • Asset Management
   • Origination
   • Private Equity
   • Financial Institutions

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Utilize Bloomberg system and company proprietary research to actively monitor portfolios and manage trading activities to achieve customers' goals.
   • Provide service for existing brokerage accounts, manage accounts, annuities, and securities-base lines of credit.
   • Attain NMLS identification number for mortgage origination.
   • Generate reporting data from Salesforce platform to facilitate growth and manage firm operations.
   • Manage customer portfolios, service relationships, and used profiling analysis tools to identify cross-selling opportunities.
   • Manage a variety of internal initiatives including merchandising, cross-selling, customer retention programs and promotional campaigns.

   More investment banker duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your investment banker job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An investment banker salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an investment banker in Utah may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level investment banker usually earns less than a senior-level investment banker. Additionally, an investment banker with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average investment banker salary

   $162,715yearly

   $78.23 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level investment banker salary

   $95,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 29, 2025

   Average investment banker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$175,566	$84
   2	Washington	$168,805	$81
   3	New Jersey	$165,809	$80
   4	New York	$165,751	$80
   5	California	$163,655	$79
   6	Pennsylvania	$162,355	$78
   7	Ohio	$162,193	$78
   8	Maryland	$160,258	$77
   9	Illinois	$157,098	$76
   10	Texas	$156,983	$75
   11	North Carolina	$153,541	$74
   12	Georgia	$152,633	$73

   Average investment banker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Citi	$236,367	$113.64	187
   2	Babcock & Brown	$229,178	$110.18
   3	Credit Suisse	$220,353	$105.94
   4	Radius Health Inc	$216,651	$104.16
   5	SG Americas Securities Holdings, LLC	$213,942	$102.86
   6	Rbc Holding Co Ltd	$213,568	$102.68	4
   7	Nomura Securities	$211,929	$101.89	14
   8	Merrill Lynch	$206,990	$99.51
   9	Morgan Stanley	$196,253	$94.35	22
   10	Radius	$194,606	$93.56
   11	Robert Half	$193,835	$93.19	18
   12	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$192,986	$92.78	1,344
   13	Management Recruiters International(MRI)	$189,564	$91.14
   14	Smyth Companies	$178,505	$85.82
   15	Grandbridge Real Estate Capital	$177,903	$85.53	324
   16	TEKsystems	$175,691	$84.47
   17	Wachovia Securities	$174,165	$83.73
   18	Baird	$166,796	$80.19	53
   19	UBS	$163,827	$78.76	14
   20	New York Life Insurance	$161,595	$77.69	30

4. Writing an investment banker job description

   An investment banker job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an investment banker job description:

   Investment banker job description example

   Duties: Build and execute external and internal financial models using techniques including accretion dilution, contribution analysis, merger of equals, sum of the parts, discounted cash flow, leveraged buyout, total addressable market analysis, and trading along with transaction precedents and comparables. Support transactions with key processes and workflow items like valuation analysis, information memorandum, virtual data room, buyer and seller contact and diligence, management presentations, and contract negotiations by coordinating among multiple parties including client, counterparties, and other advisors like lawyers and accountants. Conduct valuation, as well as industry and product research in order to present strategic and financial ideas to clients, including driving the preparation of board materials, marketing materials, bakeoff or pitch books, and other presentations. Responsible for the preparation, execution, and support of a comprehensive set of investment banking solutions for firm's technology clients, including origination and execution of buy-side and sell-side M&A advisory, leveraged buyouts, and equity and debt offerings across various technology sub-sectors. Engage in direct client interaction, building relationships and ensuring firm materials provided address the client's needs. Assist in creating industry content on trends, outlook, and competitive positioning. Drive and coordinate deal teams, including both industry and product teams as well as global teams for cross-border transactions and global clients. Monitor and evaluate current events. Train and mentor analysts and junior bankers. Recruit talent for the firm. Drive efficiency initiatives to establish best practices and standardization of workflow, including technology related initiatives. This position requires up to 20% domestic travel and up to 5% international travel.
   QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   Minimum education and experience required: This position requires a Bachelor's Degree in any field of study plus two (2) years of experience in the job offered or two (2) years of experience as an Investment Banking, Financial Analysis/Consulting, Credit Analysis or related occupation. The employer will alternatively accept a Master's degree in any field of study in lieu of a Bachelor's degree with two (2) years of experience.
   
   Skills Required: Requires experience in the following: cash flow analyses; accretion dilution; contribution analysis; merger of equals analyses; sum of the parts; discounted cash flow; leveraged buyout; total addressable market analysis; producing and presenting content for strategic and financial ideas as well as marketing materials; trading and transaction precedents and comparables; FactSet, Bloomberg, BamSEC, or ThomsonOne; equity research; and credit research. This position requires up to 20% domestic and up to 5% international travel.
   
   Job Location: 50 Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA 02110
   
   JPMorgan Chase & Co., one of the oldest financial institutions, offers innovative financial solutions to millions of consumers, small businesses and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Our history spans over 200 years and today we are a leader in investment banking, consumer and small business banking, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management.
   
   We recognize that our people are our strength and the diverse talents they bring to our global workforce are directly linked to our success. We are an equal opportunity employer and place a high value on diversity and inclusion at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law. In accordance with applicable law, we make reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as any mental health or physical disability needs.
   
   The health and safety of our colleagues, candidates, clients and communities has been a top priority in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. JPMorgan Chase was awarded the "WELL Health-Safety Rating" for all of our 6,200 locations globally based on our operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder engagement and emergency plans to address a post-COVID-19 environment.
   
   As a part of our commitment to health and safety, we have implemented various COVID-related health and safety requirements for our workforce. Employees are expected to follow the Firm's current COVID-19 or other infectious disease health and safety requirements, including local requirements. Requirements include sharing information including your vaccine card in the firm's vaccine record tool, and may include mask wearing. Requirements may change in the future with the evolving public health landscape. JPMorgan Chase will consider accommodation requests as required by applicable law.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veterans

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find investment bankers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any investment bankers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level investment bankers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your investment banker job on Zippia to find and recruit investment banker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting investment bankers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new investment banker

   Once you have selected a candidate for the investment banker position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new investment banker. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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