Compensation in private equity (and credit) is starting to become a bit sad now

The private credit and private equity industries have not had a great few years, what with struggling exit opportunities and exploding funds. The biggest draw for professionals in the industry has always been the huge pay – but that seems to be fading away, too.

Our Compensation & Lifestyle Report 2026 surveyed almost 3,000 professionals worldwide in financial services, including those who worked in private equity and credit, a collective that we labelled as private capital. READ MORE

Private equity-backed CFOs earned average of $604K per year in 2025

Private equity firms may have been returning less profit to investors in recent years, but finance chiefs working at businesses owned by such companies are seeing their own compensation packages grow.

That’s the upshot of a new report issued Wednesday by executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles. On average, CFOs working at PE-backed firms in the U.S. took home cash pay of $604,000 in 2025, up 5% year over year. READ MORE