The (recent) graduates making $400k (2024)

Harvard Business School is probably the most famous business school in the world.

Aside from the books that mention it, “what they teach you at Harvard Business School” and “what they don’t teach you at Harvard Business School” (set theory suggests that these two books contain the entire sum of knowledge the universe has to offer), they’re also popular destinations for the hallowed halls of high finance to hire from.

The school recently published employment data for its class of 2023. It broke down the numbers by the number of students that entered each industry, as well as their median salaries and bonuses.

Finance salaries and bonuses at Harvard Business School’s MBA program

The numbers are quite different to last year’s, although not by much. Whilst base salaries were equal last year ($175k a head), consultants in 2023 received a pretty significant bump to $192k. Average salaries for investment bankers and hedge funders, however, were flat, and private equiteers saw a less dramatic increase compared to last year.

Signing bonuses were also relatively similar, ranging between $30k and $54k this year for the industries we’ve surveyed (we didn’t look at venture capitalists, who earned $20k on average, last year). It’s also worth noting that there was a lot of variance between who did and who didn’t get a bonus – whilst 100% of graduates in investment banking did, only 20% of those in venture capital could say the same.

It was in performance bonuses, as ever, that there was a real difference. The mighty salaries of consultants translated to just $32k in performance bonuses, whilst hedge funders, for instance, saw $175k base salaries be accompanied with $120k performance bonuses on average.

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However, bonuses are surprisingly different to last year. Hedge funds and Investment banks, which paid $168k and $125k to graduate hires last year on average, only paid $120k and $100k respectively this year. Private equity firms, however, lifted performance bonuses from $175k to $181k, and consultancies lifted theirs from $30k to $32k.

It’s not very surprising to see decreases across the board. The economy has certainly had better years, and adjusting inflation probably makes the compensation decreases seem less worse than they actually are.

Stanford and Wharton business school MBA salaries & bonuses

Wharton and Stanford’s business schools are also very prestigious, although the employment data they offer on graduates isn’t as conclusive as Harvard’s.

However, where there is data, general trends match. Private equity offers the highest pay-package for a first-year graduate at Stanford, whilst Wharton (which only had salary data) had Hedge Funders at the top of their pyramid.

Curiously, investment banking seems to have fallen out of favor with MBA students. Whilst they made up a fair few of Wharton’s graduate class (14%), they were practically non-existent amongst Harvard’s (3%) and seemingly totally non-existent for Stanford’s, who seemed to prefer Venture Capital at higher rates.

Consulting, however, seems a relatively unassailably popular choice. Its salaries are also very consistent, with a median of around $190k. Total compensation packages, which include signing and performance bonuses, are also consistent where the information is available (Harvard and Stanford).

What does this all mean for the wallet-measuring contests, though? It means that, if you’re a young MBA graduate from a top university, going to a hedge fund is no longer the highest-paid career for you (right out the door, at least) – you want to go to a private equity firm, although neither are quite so bad. Consulting and venture capital are the ones to avoid, if you can.

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The (recent) graduates making $400k (2024)

FAQs

Is 400K a good salary in the US? ›

A $400,000 a year household income puts you in America's top 1.8% income-earners according to the IRS. Therefore, by most metrics, you are considered rich with this income. Sadly, earning $400K a year would have put you in the top 1% of income earners just 10 years ago.

What percent of Americans make over 200k? ›

A $200,000 household income is more than most people earn across the U.S. In fact, just 12% of U.S. households earn $200,000 or more annually, according to Census Bureau data.

How much is 400K a year monthly? ›

$400,000 yearly is how much per month? If you make $400,000 per year, your Monthly salary would be $33,333.

What is the 400K job that doesn t require a college degree? ›

Walmart says managers can now earn up to $400,000 a year — no college degree needed - CBS News.

Is making 500k a year rich? ›

Based on that figure, an annual income of $500,000 or more would make you rich. The Economic Policy Institute uses a different baseline to determine who constitutes the top 1% and the top 5%. For 2021, you're in the top 1% if you earn $819,324 or more each year. The top 5% of income earners make $335,891 per year.

Is 800k a year rich? ›

In 2023, households earning at least $844,266 per year are considered among California's top 1%. On average, these high earners are taxed at a rate of 26.95%. In the Garden State, you'll need an annual household income of $817,346 to be in the top 1%.

What salary is considered rich? ›

Here's the income it takes to be a top earner in your state

You'll need to earn more than half a million annually to be considered among the highest earning residents in 11 states and Washington, D.C. "This comes down to cost of living," Murray said.

What is the upper middle class salary? ›

Upper-middle class: $94,001 – $153,000. Upper class: greater than $153,000.

What is considered high income? ›

Upper middle class: Anyone with earnings in the 60th to 80th percentile would be considered upper middle class. Those in the upper middle class have incomes between $89,745 and $149,131. Upper class: Finally, the upper class is the top 20% of earners and they have incomes of $149,132 or higher.

How much house can I afford on a 400k salary? ›

One rule of thumb is to aim for a home that costs about two-and-a-half times your gross annual salary. If you have significant credit card debt or other financial obligations like alimony or even an expensive hobby, then you may need to set your sights lower.

How long can you live on $400,000 dollars? ›

Using our portfolio of $400,000 and the 4% withdrawal rate, you could withdraw $16,000 annually from your retirement accounts and expect your money to last for at least 30 years. If, say, your Social Security checks are $2,000 monthly, you'd have a combined annual income in retirement of $40,000.

What is $4,500 a month hourly? ›

$4,500 a month is how much an hour? If you make $4,500 a month, your hourly salary would be $25.96.

What is the highest paying no degree job? ›

Here are the top 10 highest-paying jobs that don't require a degree.
  • Airline and commercial pilot. ...
  • Information security analyst. ...
  • Elevator and escalator installer and repairer. ...
  • Special effects artist and animator. ...
  • Transportation, storage, and distribution manager. ...
  • First-line supervisors of police and detective.
Jan 28, 2024

What job makes a lot of money without going to college? ›

Here are the highest paying jobs without a college degree:

Flight Attendant. Sales Representative. Sound Engineering Technician. Structural Iron and Steelworker.

What is the lowest paying job with a degree? ›

Lowest-Paying Majors
  • Mental Health: $45,000.
  • Early Childhood Education: $45,400.
  • Outdoor Education: $46,300.
  • Rehabilitation Counseling: $46,400.
  • Child and Family Studies: $46,500.
  • Addiction Studies: $47,000.
  • Equine Studies: $47,100.
  • Early Childhood & Elementary Education: $48,400.

Can you live off 400k a year? ›

The answer is, maybe. This money can generate a modest income that might be enough to pay your bills depending on your standard of living. But this will not be a generous income. It won't leave you much room for either luxury or emergency spending.

How many US families make over $500,000? ›

According to the latest data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a relatively small fraction of the population falls into this high-earning bracket. The IRS reports that for the most recent tax year with available data, less than 1% of all tax filers reported an adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeding $500,000.

What is the 1% income in the US? ›

For 2022, the average wage for working Americans was $61,136. The average wages of those in the top 1 percent of wage earners were $785,968 that year. In the rarefied top 0.1 percent, the average earnings were more than $2.8 million in 2022.

What is a really good salary in the US? ›

Generally, an income that comfortably covers living expenses, allows for savings, and provides for leisure activities is considered good. In the United States, median household income is around $68,700 according to recent data. However, in cities with higher costs of living, a good salary might be considerably higher.

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