By the JSB Partners Market Knowledge Team.
This guide compiles research gathered from investment firms across the hedge fund, private equity and private credit industries. It gives a comparative view of how firms structure their benefits, in the areas that matter most to candidates and hiring teams today. The data is primarily from firms in the New York Metropolitan Area.
For employers, strong benefits have become a key lever in attracting and retaining top talent, particularly in a competitive hiring environment. For employees, long-term satisfaction and overall pay depend significantly on factors beyond cash compensation. This guide helps firms benchmark their offerings and helps professionals evaluate opportunities through a more complete lens.
1. Days in office
Based on 184 firms, the market remains largely oriented toward in-office work. 86% of firms require employees in the office at least three days per week.
- 2 days or fewer: 25 firms (14%)
- 3 days: 39 firms (21%)
- 4 days: 81 firms (44%), the most common arrangement
- 5 days: 39 firms (21%)
Highly flexible and remote-leaning policies exist, but they remain far less common than office-based expectations. Days-in-office policies are not static: they often reflect a firm’s culture and leadership’s preference for in-person collaboration, and many firms continue to reassess them.
2. Healthcare
A significant majority of firms offer free medical coverage.
- Fully covered single coverage: 82% of firms
- Fully covered family coverage: 80% of firms
Among firms where employees contribute, the median out-of-pocket cost is $77.50 per month for single coverage and $267.50 per month for family coverage. Free medical benefits remain a meaningful part of the overall compensation package for much of the market.
3. 401(k)
Of the 132 firms we analyzed that offer a 401(k) plan, 118 provide an employer match (about 89%).
The median employer match is 4% of annual compensation, subject to IRS contribution limits. Plan design varies: some firms match a percentage of employee contributions up to a fixed dollar cap (for example, 100% up to $5,000). Matching is both widespread and fairly standard at the median, and it remains a key lever for attracting and retaining talent.
4. Vacation days
Across 146 firms, excluding sick days, personal days and floating holidays:
- Minimum: 10 days
- Average: 15 days
- Maximum: 25 days
The most common range is 15 to 20 days, covering about 67% of firms. At many firms, vacation scales with seniority. About 7.5% of firms offer unlimited vacation. Most of those still expect usage within a range similar to a traditional allowance.
5. Meal benefits
About 66 of the firms analyzed offer some form of meal benefit: breakfast, lunch, dinner or a combination. Some provide a stipend for delivery services; others offer stocked kitchens, catered meals or regularly ordered food in the office. Meal benefits are especially valued where hours are long or office presence is heavy.
6. Additional benefits
With salary, bonus and standard benefits broadly consistent, firms increasingly differentiate on lifestyle.
- Fitness and wellness, the most common standout: onsite gyms, subsidized memberships or monthly fitness stipends, and at some firms high-end facilities, classes or personal training.
- Technology and connectivity: reimbursed or fully paid phones, company laptops and home office setups.
- Lifestyle convenience: car service home after late nights, and commuter subsidies.
- Flexibility: at select firms, “work from anywhere” periods, informal vacation flexibility and seasonal remote options.
- Tuition reimbursement: at some firms, support for CPA designations, MBAs and other certifications.
Firms are competing not only on compensation but on quality of life, flexibility and personalization, with fitness and convenience benefits the most consistent differentiators.
Talk to us
To benchmark your firm’s benefits, or to understand how an offer compares, email yourexpert@jsbpartners.com.