Does a banker make a lot of money?
As a passionate gamer, I see a lot of parallels between careers in banking and gaming. Both offer big paydays for top performers – but require major investments of time and mental energy. Just like pro streamers, investment bankers earn huge salaries but endure intense stress and 80-100 hour workweeks. Meanwhile, retail bankers make solid middle-class livings for far less work.
Let‘s explore banking and gaming careers side-by-side!
Investment Bankers: The Pro Gamers of Finance
Just as famous streamers like Ninja and Shroud make 7 figures from gaming subscriptions and sponsorships, investment bankers earn giant six-figure salaries:
- Associates average around $150,000
- VPs take home $200,000+
- Managing Directors make nearly $500,000
But they pay for it with crazy hours – we‘re talking 80-120 per week, comparable to a pro streamer‘s endless grind. And forget taking a vacation during earnings season!
Here‘s how banking and gaming careers compare at the highest level:
| Investment Banker | Top Streamer | |
| Annual Salary | $150,000-$500,000 | $500,000-$5 mil |
| Weekly Hours | 80-120 hrs | 50-90 hrs |
| Key Skills | Financial analysis, client service | Gaming skill, entertaining personality |
As a gamer, I can confirm both careers involve complex problem-solving under intense pressure. But while pro gamers enjoy flexible lifestyles and independence, bankers answer to hierarchical corporate bureaucracies.
In other words, banking pays better – but gaming may offer more freedom and fun!
Commercial Bankers: The Streamer Middle Class
For business lending services, commercial bankers do quite well for themselves. Salaries aren‘t in the pro gamer tier, but easily provide upper-middle-class lifestyles:
- Assistant Commercial Bankers average around $60,000
- Commercial Bankers earn $90,000
- Commercial Banking Managers clear $150,000+
The hours aren‘t as grueling either. Commercial banking is like having a successful YouTube channel with 50,000 loyal subscribers. The money flows steadily without ridiculous hours or entertainment pressure.
Here‘s how commercial banking and a solid streaming career shape up:
| Commercial Banker | Established Streamer | |
| Annual Salary | $100,000 | $100,000-$300,000 |
| Weekly Hours | 50 hrs | 30-50 hrs |
| Key Skills | Sales, risk analysis | Gaming expertise and consistency |
For better work-life balance and less pressure, commercial banking clearly wins out. But streaming offers more creative freedom and unlimited upside (if you can build a huge audience).
Personal Bankers: Gaming‘s Solid Supporting Roles
If commercial banking runs parallel to a successful streaming career, personal banking compares to support roles in gaming.
As frontline customer service roles, personal bankers enable basic banking transactions like deposits, credit cards, loans and more. Salaries cover middle-class life but pale next to high finance:
- Entry-level personal bankers average around $35,000
- Experienced earn $60,000
- Branch managers make $80,000
Think of tellers and personal bankers like the coaches, analysts and commentators across the gaming scene. They enable the lucrative front-facing gaming careers and foster community – not rock star paydays but solid respectable incomes.
Here‘s how support banking jobs match up with auxiliary gaming careers:
| Personal Banker | Gaming Support Role | |
| Annual Salary | $35,000-$80,000 | $30,000-$100,000 |
| Weekly Hours | 40 hrs | 40 hrs |
| Key Skills | Customer service, sales | Gaming expertise, analysis |
For reliable pay and great work-life balance, personal banking wins out. But coaching/shoutcasting offer more creative upside and gaming passion!
Across both industries, rockstar paydays require exceptional skill and relentless effort. But supporting roles deliver solid incomes too. As in gaming, banking offers a spectrum of viable careers to suit different priorities.
Final Thoughts: Banking and Gaming Reward Similar Skills
As a gamer, I see so many parallels between banking and gaming careers. Both reward technical expertise, personal dynamism, competitive drive, analytic skill, resilience and more.
While the industries seem totally unrelated on the surface, they stem from similar talent sets. No wonder so many alpha personalities thrive in environments like investment banking and professional esports.
Of course, every career path involves major trade-offs around compensation, hours, stress levels and work-life balance. Whether banking or gaming, choose roles aligned with your skills and interests – not just the biggest paychecks.
Personally, I‘ll stick to blogging on games as a passion project! No need for 80 hours weeks when I can play and write from home. But for other gamers seeking corporate success, banking could prove a highly rewarding (and well-compensated) career choice.
