How bad are the hours at BofA?

Question

Hi there,

I'm thinking of applying to BofA for IB and wondering how the workload compares to the other BBs. Is it still 80–100 hour weeks across the board, or is there any difference? Would love to hear from someone who's been there recently.

Answer 1

Hey! Great that you’re looking into BofA. It’s definitely a solid place to start a career in IB.

In terms of hours: yeah, you should still expect 80–100 hour weeks, especially in busy groups like M&A, LevFin, or sponsors. That said, BofA does have a bit of a reputation for being slightly more reasonable compared to some of the more intense BBs (like GS or even JPM), but it really depends on the group and the team culture.

They’ve introduced some work-life balance policies (like protected Saturdays), but deal flow usually takes priority, so it can still get intense.

Overall: still a grind, but not the worst among BBs. Solid name, good experience... just be ready to work hard.

Answer 2

Hey There!

BofA is generally seen as middle of the pack when it comes to hours among bulge brackets. You should still expect the typical IB workload, meaning 80+ hour weeks during busy deal periods, but the intensity can vary a lot depending on group and deal flow.

Some industry teams are known to be more demanding, while others run at a steadier pace. Like anywhere in banking, it’s less about the firm as a whole and more about the specific group you join.

One thing BofA does get credit for is trying to create some structure around protected weekends and managing workloads more evenly. These policies don’t eliminate long hours, but they can help make the lifestyle a bit more sustainable compared to some peers.

Answer 3

Hey There!

Hours at BofA in investment banking are demanding, particularly during live deals, but they are generally viewed as slightly more manageable than some of the other bulge brackets. Analysts can still expect 70–80+ hour weeks on average, with peak periods occasionally pushing toward 90–100 hours, especially in M&A or leveraged finance groups. The intensity can vary significantly by team, product group, and office, with coverage teams or DCM/ECM sometimes offering a marginally better work-life balance than mega-deal M&A. Overall, the hours are long and the pace is fast, but many analysts find BofA slightly more structured in terms of workflow and support compared to some peers.