ToplineBonuses for Wall Street employees jumped to a record $49.2 billion overall pool, New York’s state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said Thursday morning, which he attributed to strong trading activity and a 30% rise in Wall Street’s profits.Wall Street bonuses reached a record high in 2025. (Photo by Liao Pan/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)China News Service via Getty ImagesKey FactsThe $49.2 billion pool is 9% higher than the pool for 2024, DiNapoli said.The average bonus paid to securities industry employees was $246,900, which is 6% higher than the year prior.“Wall Street saw strong performance for much of last year, despite all of the ongoing domestic and international upheavals,” DiNapoli said in a release Thursday morning, adding the higher Wall Street profits are “good for our state and city budgets, which are reliant on the industry’s significant tax contributions.”Though this year's bonus pool is the highest on record, the 2006 pool adjusted for inflation edges it out at $53.7 billion in today’s dollars.Securities industry employment edged down slightly to 198,200 in 2025, DiNapoli said, adding financial sector job growth has been faster in other parts of the country, though New York still has the nation’s highest share of securities industry employees at 17.9%.DiNapoli estimated the bonuses would generate $199 million more in state income tax revenue and $91 million more for New York City over the previous year, but he said tax revenue may fall short of expectations as Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed budget assumed Wall Street bonuses would rise 25.9%.Hwhat To Watch ForDiNapoli struck a more somber tone for the future of Wall Street’s performance. “We are seeing slower job growth, and geopolitical conflicts have global repercussions that pose extraordinary risks for the short- and long-term outlook on the financial sector and for broader economic markets,” he said.Key BackgroundThe Wall Street compensation surge in 2025 follows another record-breaking year in 2024. Bonuses surged 31% in 2024 as Wall Street profits jumped 90%, DiNapoli said in a March 2025 release. The bonus pool was a then-record $47.5 billion, with the average bonus totaling $244,700. Securities employment reached 201,500 in 2024, its highest level in three decades.How Much Did Stocks Rise In 2025?Stocks ended 2025 on a high note, recording a third straight year of double-digit gains. The S&P 500 closed out the year 16% higher, while Nasdaq jumped 19% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 13%. Stocks rallied amid confidence in tech and AI stocks, overcoming economic hurdles like President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs.Further ReadingUS stock market ends 2025 on a high note after volatile year (BBC)