Working hours in IB vs consulting?

Question

Looking for people who ideally have experience in both industries: How do the working hours compare between investment banking and consulting (MBB level)? It feels like IB would be even worse than consulting, but does it make a big difference?

Answer 1

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 70-100 hours a week. The hours are long, unpredictable, and often involve late nights and weekends, especially when deals are in full swing. You can be deep in financial models at 2 AM just because something urgent popped up. It can be exhausting, but you learn a ton quickly.

In consulting, the hours are still demanding (think 50-70 hours a week), but they’re generally more structured. You might have a busy week leading up to a big presentation, but weekends are often free, and there’s more predictability because the projects have set timelines. The travel can be exhausting, but it’s balanced out by the fact that the hours aren’t as crazy as in banking.

Answer 2

Agree with Jamie. I did an internship at Goldman Sachs and then started at McKinsey. I’d say there’s definitely a difference in working hours between the two. In investment banking, especially at a place like Goldman, the hours were intense – consistently long nights and weekend work were the norm. In consulting, the hours are still long, but there’s a bit more predictability and flexibility, at least in my experience. The demands are still high in MBB consulting, but I don’t find myself working quite as many late nights as I did in IB. Overall, consulting feels a bit more manageable, though both require a high level of commitment.

Answer 3

Investment banking is definitely tougher. Although neither job has a "chill" work-life balance, here's what you can expect:

Banking

Average ~80 hours / week with a range of 60-120+
Variability is extremely high, depending on deal flow
Often takes place outside of normal working hours and on the weekends

Consulting

Average ~60 hours / week with a range of 40-90
Variability is more consistent during projects, but you have "on the beach" time between projects
Often packed into the first part of the week, especially if you're traveling to the client site

There's a lot of nuance, though--let's set up a free intro call to discuss further!

Answer 4

Having worked in both consulting and finance, I’d say the main difference is the focus. In consulting, it’s about big... (read entire answer)

Having worked in both consulting and finance, I’d say the main difference is the focus. In consulting, it’s about big-picture problem-solving, like helping a client expand into... (read entire answer)