Does Morgan Stanley pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Morgan Stanley employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.6 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Morgan Stanley. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Morgan Stanley?

76% of Morgan Stanley employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Morgan Stanley 3.6 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.9 for culture and values and 3.7 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Morgan Stanley?

Associate (1440) , Vice President (1142) , Analyst (1045) , Manager (504) , Intern (472) , Director (464) , Financial Advisor (422) , Executive Director (406) , Senior Manager (401) , Senior Associate (339) , Software Engineer (332) , Operations Analyst (289) , Client Service Associate (271) , Software Developer (249) , Summer Analyst (226)

What are the pros of working at Morgan Stanley according to real employee reviews?

"The culture was great and I loved how there are different groups/clubs that you can join for your interests and network with other professionals" ((in 2162 reviews)); "Morgan Stanley employs some great people that are excellent to have in your personal network." ((in 1941 reviews)); "Work life balance is good but ebbs and flows with the times and profit margins." ((in 1158 reviews)); "Benefits are good and usually very competitive with the market" ((in 1131 reviews)); "Good pay and very flexible with where you work from due to the pandemic" ((in 841 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Morgan Stanley according to real employee reviews?

"Long hours and requires you to be glued to your desk for most of the day" ((in 769 reviews)); "Long and late working hours" ((in 374 reviews)); "Low compensation compared to GS and JPM" ((in 227 reviews)); "Middle management and some senior management out of their depth and often made up of staff promoted beyond their capability." ((in 127 reviews)); "Upper management has almost zero relation with employees at the FA level" ((in 96 reviews))

What are employees saying about Morgan Stanley layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Morgan Stanley layoffs and their outlook for job security at Morgan Stanley in 2026.

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Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley reviews

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3.9

76% would recommend to a friend

(19,799 total reviews)

Ted Pick

80% approve of CEO

73% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.0

Diversity & inclusion

3.9

Culture & values

3.7

Career opportunities

3.6

Work/Life balance

3.6

Compensation and benefits

3.5

Senior management

Morgan Stanley has an employee rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 19,799 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Morgan Stanley employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Finanzas industry (3.7 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

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Reviews by job title

20K reviews

5.0

Feb 3, 2009

MS - where opportunity is in your own hands

Investment banking associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Prestige, experience, exposure - Morgan Stanley provides accessibility to a broad array of finance jobs in all sectors & regions, with the flexibility to move internally - Very talented individuals work here and the learning curve is steep - Very meritocratic in terms of promotions and opposrtunities (at least in the junior levels)

Cons

Long hours, high pressure - Expect to work 70+ hours a week, and for that to be considered the norm - There is pressure to produce high quality work in short deadlines, saying "no" to work is not really an option, even if swamped on other projects

4.0

Jan 5, 2009

The Firm still has great value and potential as long as mgmt can reinvigorate the traditional culture

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Franchise and people. Phenomenal opportunities to work on largest and most interesting corporate finance transactions

Cons

Too many gunslingers hired in recent years to pursue risk. Has destroyed the traditional MS model of promoting from within as new hires and people promoted above their competency levels instituted a "yes-man" culture where frank discussions and exchanges of views were actively discouraged.

4.0

Jan 4, 2009

Great place to work

Associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Morgan Stanley is a great place to work because it provides a motivated team environment, with ample opportunity for advancement, and lots of access to clients early in your career. The company also offers a good compensation policy and competitive benefits relative to its peers. Employees are self starters and intelligent from junior levels to senior levels. In my experience, the firm provides great access to senior team members. More of a team approach than at many other banks - everyone works together across divisions to achieve the best results for clients.

Cons

As in most banking positions, working at Morgan Stanley in investment banking requires long hours and a lack of schedule predictability.

Viewing 19777 - 19779 of 19,799 Reviews

Jobs at Morgan Stanley

Administrative Assistant

Associate, Software Engineer

Associate, Risk / Policy Mgmt

Associate, Software Engineer