This year's analyst bonuses, and what they say about bonuses for everyone else

After a slight delay, analyst bonuses in IBD have now been announced.

Here's what we understand they generally amounted to:

Analyst one: 45k base, 20-30k bonus (44-66%)

Analyst two: 50k base, 30-45k bonus (60-90%)

Analyst three: 55-58k base, 45-65k bonus (80-115%)

We are receiving contradictory reports on the level of satisfaction with these awards.

On one hand, Logan Naidu at the Cornell Partnership says there's been a degree of disappointment: "Most bonuses have been in the 60-100% range. A few years ago people were getting 120-150%."

On the other, another recruiter of analysts points out that given the increase in salaries, analysts are actually being paid on a par with 2007 and that most people are quite content with this.

Naidu agrees that grumblers probably need to take the big pay picture into consideration: "What people seem to be forgetting is that with increased base salaries, total comp isn't far off the peak of the market."

Implications

From this year's analyst bonus round we conclude the following: 2010 bonuses will not be good. This is the year that banks will get serious about reducing 'performance pay' in line with salaries. Sad (if you were deludedly expecting a 2006-style bonus), but true.