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Wall Street Bonuses Hit All-Time High of $49.2 Billion in 2025

Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 5:36 AM

Financial industry executives on Wall Street received record-breaking bonuses totaling $49.2 billion in 2025, marking a 9% increase from the previous year. New York's comptroller reports the securities industry's profits jumped over 30% despite market volatility from geopolitical tensions and trade policies.

Financial executives on Wall Street collected record-setting bonuses totaling $49.2 billion in 2025, representing a 9% increase over the prior year, according to data released Thursday by New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

Individual bonus payments averaged $246,900, up 6% from 2024, as investment professionals benefited from robust trading volumes, strong underwriting activity, and healthy management fee income. This occurred despite market turbulence caused by international tensions and trade policy changes. The securities sector’s overall profits jumped more than 30% to reach $65.1 billion, state estimates show.

“Wall Street saw strong performance for much of last year, despite all of the ongoing domestic and international upheavals,” DiNapoli said in a statement. “When Wall Street does well, it’s good for our state and city budgets, which are reliant on the industry’s significant tax contributions.”

The financial services sector contributes more than 19% of New York state’s total tax revenue.

Employment growth in the industry has slowed, with preliminary figures showing a slight drop in workforce numbers to 198,200 employees in 2025, down from a three-decade peak of 201,500 workers in 2024. However, the comptroller noted that final employment data may be adjusted upward to show modest job gains.

Total annual compensation in New York’s securities sector increased 7.3% to $505,677 in 2024, with bonus payments accounting for approximately 42% of overall wages.

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