Wall Street bonuses expected to rise for first time since 2021: report

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Wall Street firms are expected to pay out higher bonuses this year in what would be the first increase since 2021, according to a report by compensation consulting firm Johnson Associates.

Bonuses are expected to rise after recent months saw an uptick in deal-making, the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates and the stock market surging to record highs.

«This year has been surprisingly good, and the industry is quite optimistic about 2025, especially with the potential of announcing more M&A deals,» the firm's founder, Alan Johnson, told Reuters.

Although bonuses are rising for the first time in three years, they will remain below the record levels they reached in 2021, when, Johnson noted, there was «abnormally good» revenue and compensation.

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The Johnson Associates analysis found that Wall Street firms are expected to increase bonuses at the highest levels since 2021. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Investment bankers working in the debt underwriting sector will see the largest increase in bonuses compared to their peers in other fields, increasing by 25% to 35% because of what Johnson Associates noted were revenues booming due to debt issuance growth.

Equity underwriters are expected to see bonuses rise by 15% to 25% compared to last year, with revenues up significantly from 2023 despite a slow IPO market, the firm noted.

Traders are likely to see bonuses increase by 15% to 20% amid increased activity in equity markets and elevated levels of volatility.

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