Stanford MBA program has slowly pivoted from a program known for placements to a General Management function to a vehicle for Private Equity and Venture Capital placements. The 2021 placements trends confirm PE and VC industries’ influence as the two industries significantly contributed towards taking the total median salary to $200,000 – a new milestone that peer schools are trying to reach.
In this in-depth analysis of the Stanford MBA Employment trends and Salary for the 2021 Graduating Class, we cover:
- Stanford MBA Salary by Industry (2021)
- Stanford MBA Salary by Function (2021)
- Stanford MBA Salary by Location (2021)
- Stanford MBA Top Employers (2021)
- Stanford MBA Career Service Team - Effectiveness (2021)
- Stanford MBA Entrepreneurship (2021)
Stanford MBA Salary by Industry (2021)
| Stanford MBA Salary | Percent Hired | Median Base Salary | Median Sign-on Bonus | Total Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private Equity (Finance) | 15% | $170,000 | $30,000 | $200,000 |
| Consulting | 18% | $165,000 | $30,000 | $195,000 |
| Venture Capital (Finance) | 11% | $177,500 | $15,000 | $192,500 |
| Healthcare | 5% | $150,000 | $26,000 | $176,000 |
| Technology | 29% | $150,000 | $19,600 | $169,600 |
Most Stanford MBAs secured employment in Finance, 33%, followed by Technology at 29%, emulating the same trend as last year. The highest salaries came from the Finance industry (Private Equity) and Consulting with $200,000 and $195,000, respectively.
Venture Capital offered the highest median base salary of $177,500, accompanied by the lowest median sign-on bonus of $15,000. The highest median sign-on bonus of $30,000 was offered within Consulting and Private Equity.
Healthcare represented 5% of all hires, ahead of Investment Management and Media/Entertainment.
Stanford MBA Salary by Function (2021)
| Stanford MBA Salary by Function | Percent Hired | Median Base Salary | Median Sign-on Bonus | Total Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private Equity | 13% | $172,500 | $32,365 | $204,865 |
| Management Consulting | 18% | $165,000 | $30,000 | $195,000 |
| Venture Capitalist | 10% | $180,000 | $15,000 | $195,000 |
| Product Manager | 9% | $158,000 | $32,500 | $190,500 |
| General Management / Rotational / Leadership | 8% | $147,500 | $30,000 | $177,500 |
| Business Ops / Strategy / Planning | 17% | $152,267 | $20,000 | $172,267 |
25% of Stanford MBAs found opportunities in Business operations, Strategy, or Planning, while the General Management/Rotational Leadership role was accepted by 8% of the class.
Venture capitalists secured the highest median base salary of $180,000, followed by private equity professionals ($172,500) and management consultants ($165,000).
Product managers within Marketing/Sales secured the highest median sign-on bonuses of $32,500, followed by those opting for private equity - $32,365.
The total salary was the highest for private equity professionals. The second place was a tie between venture capitalists and management consultants.
Management Consulting was at the top tier in terms of median base salary ($165,000) and sign-on bonus ($30,000), making the function the most reliable in terms of remuneration.
Stanford MBA Salary by Location (2021)
93% of all Stanford MBAs secured employment in North America. More than half - 56% of which were on the West Coast and 22% on the East Coast.
Compared to the previous academic year, the rise of employment on the East Coast was 2% - a signal indicating the increased acceptance of private equity and venture capitalist offers.
The technology dominance of the West Coast contributes significantly to Stanford MBAs settling in the region, especially those opting for Technology - the second most popular industry.
The total salaries for those on the West Coast were higher by $7,000 than those on the East Coast who had a salary of $183,000.
By region, the Midwest offered the highest base salary of $165,000, and the West Coast offered the highest sign-on bonus ($36,500).
International placements were mostly concentrated around Europe, with salaries at a much lower $106,000.
Stanford MBA Top Employers (2021)
Stanford did not disclose its top employers, especially those in Financial Services. However, HSBC, American Express, and Goldman Sachs recruiting in the previous year are likely to continue their presence at Stanford. Within consulting, McKinsey, Bain, and BCG also have a strong record of hiring from Stanford.
This year’s technology employers include Snap Inc, Common Room, and Survey Monkey.
Stanford MBA Career Service Team - Effectiveness (2021)
23%, the largest share of candidates, secured employment through non-GSB personal contact, highlighting the importance of networking pre-MBA and post-MBA. 19% of MBAs secured employment through the GSB network. 13% of MBAs converted their internships obtained through the school to full-time offers – mostly in Finance.
The Stanford Career Management Centre facilitated 11% of student placements and the job board a further 10%.
Overall, school-facilitated placements were higher by a slight margin than graduated facilitated placements.
Stanford MBA Entrepreneurship (2021)
17% of Stanford MBA candidates started their own venture – with Technology, Finance, Healthcare, and Private Equity among the favorite niches.
37% of all Stanford MBA-initiated start-ups were in technology, followed by finance (17%). Private equity and healthcare were the favorites after consumer technology. The influence of Silicon Valley was clear as 49% of these Stanford MBA-initiated start-ups were based on the West Coast, while 24% were in other regions within the US.
24% of ventures were located outside the US and might have a strong element of social impact or cater to other industries like media/entertainment, energy, or consumer products.
Related Services
• F1GMAT’s Career Planning Service
• F1GMAT’s Essay Review Service
Related Books
• F1GMAT’s Stanford MBA Essay Guide
• F1GMAT’s Winning MBA Essay Guide (Includes Stanford MBA Essay Tips and Samples)
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