Goldman Sachs Hierarchy

Question

Hey,

I’m trying to get a better understanding of the hierarchy at Goldman Sachs, specifically in the investment banking division. From what I know, the typical structure from bottom to top is:

Analyst
Associate
Vice President (VP)
Executive Director (ED) / Senior Vice President (SVP)
Managing Director (MD)

Am I missing anything?

Also, I’ve seen titles like “Junior Associate” or “Senior Analyst” in some places—are these just variations of the standard roles, or do they actually mean something different within the hierarchy?

Would appreciate any insights!

Thanks!

Answer 1

Hey there,

you’ve got the structure mostly right. At Goldman Sachs, the typical path is Analyst → Associate → VP → ED/SVP → MD, with Partner being the top tier.

“Junior Associate” and “Senior Analyst” aren’t official titles there, just informal ways to signal experience within a level. Some firms have extra layers, but at GS, it’s pretty standardized.

I hope that helped and let me know if you have further questions.

Answer 2

Your hierarchy is mostly correct. At Goldman Sachs, the official structure generally follows what you listed, but above Managing Director (MD), there’s also the Partner level, which represents the firm’s top leadership. As for "Junior Associate" or "Senior Analyst," these aren’t official ranks but are sometimes used to indicate experience level within a role.

Answer 3

Having worked in both investment banking and consulting, I can say the working hours are definitely intense in both w... (read entire answer)

Having worked in both investment banking and consulting, I can say the working hours are definitely intense in both with some differences. In investment banking, expect to work... (read entire answer)