Private-Credit Firms Pay $825,000 for Fundraisers as Hiring Jumps 37% Since 2023
Updated
Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 11
Private-Credit Firms Pay $825,000 for Fundraisers as Hiring Jumps 37% Since 2023
6 articles · Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 11
$825,000 was the 2025 median total pay for private-credit fundraising and sales professionals, topping the $800,000 median across all private markets in Jensen Partners data.
A tougher capital-raising market is driving that premium: firms are taking longer to raise funds, competition for limited-partner money has intensified, and top sellers with institutional-investor relationships are in higher demand.
Jensen said its hiring for credit roles has risen 37% since 2023, outpacing 30% growth in private-equity hiring, while sales-leader roles across private markets commanded a $1.5 million median package.
Private-credit pay still lags private equity on carried interest—about 39% of credit professionals were eligible versus nearly 49% in private equity, with median carry around $600,000 versus $1.5 million.
Negative headlines and asset-quality concerns have tested confidence, but Jensen said inflows remain resilient because private credit still has strong capital-formation demand and large platforms continue hiring.
As private credit defaults hit record highs, is the industry's talent war creating a compensation bubble that is about to burst?
With redemption gates rising, are investors paying a premium for talent in a market that is becoming dangerously illiquid?