Economist Magazine MBA Program Rankings

BedHead
Sun, 06 Feb 2011 15:10:14 +0000

I agree that the salary reported was only base salary. The average MFE compensation package for Berkeley’s fresh MFE grads is $150,382.00. I don’t think MFE grads make substantially more than MBA grads. In fact, according to the MFE website, the average starting base salary for MFE grads is $102,713.00. So, it’s more likely that Haas MBA grads total compensation packages would go over $160k. Placement Reports, Master of Financial Engineering Program - Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley



RML, based on what you’ve posted on this thread, you look at data to draw your conclusions and that is helpful. I hadn’t looked at the underlying data when I responded to this post, though, and in this case I believe you should take another look at the data.

The meaningful figures for the MFE, as for MBAs going into finance, are not the base salary alone. These people all – or the vast majority – work in financial firms where bonuses are often de rigeur. The base salary plus minimum bonus figures, then, give you the true picture of what they will earn AT A MINIMUM. They could earn higher. Given the profile of people who earn their MFE’s at places in the top-tier like Berkeley, I said I would not at all be surprised if they earn more than MBAs out of the program. In fact, on average, they seem to make considerably more. It’s true one shouldn’t count one-offs like relocation packages, but bonuses aren’t one-offs, and these are again MINIMUM figures…

It’s hard to tease out exactly what they are counting in the total bonus and other compensation line and what percentage is guaranteed…but it seems certain looking at the base salary figure alone is inadequate.

[Placement Reports, Master of Financial Engineering Program - Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley](http://mfe.haas.berkeley.edu/careers/placement2010.html)

Here’s what I found for Haas full-time MBA:

[For Employers - MBA Employment Reports - Haas School of Business](http://www.haas.berkeley.edu/groups/careercenter/08_09Stats.html#SIX)

Interesting, too, were the student profiles:

Including a guy with a PhD in physics from CalTech. Ha. What a lightweight.

[Student Voices, Master of Financial Engineering Program - Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley](http://mfe.haas.berkeley.edu/community/students/profiles.html)