Wall Street Bonus Pool Surges to a Record $47.5 Billion for 2024

Average Wall Street bonuses surged last year, with the total pool for payouts jumping to a record $47.5 billion as industry profits soared.

The average annual bonus rose by almost a third, to $244,700, the first significant increase since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to estimates by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. The total pool is the largest since at least 1987, when records began, as revenue gains from trading and underwriting fueled a near-doubling of profits.

“This financial-market strength is good news for New York’s economy and our fiscal position, which relies on the tax revenue it ...