2026 PE Portfolio Operations Compensation Report

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Used by Managing Partners, Founders, COOs, and Portfolio Ops and Human Capital Professionals at leading PE firms.

Firms that align operating partner economics outperform by 2–3 percentage points.

That's $10M–$30M in additional value per $1B fund. This isn't generosity — it's strategic alignment driving returns

5–20%

Operating teams as % of management fees. Partners demand justification — generic surveys don't address PE ops specifics.

21%

New hires from other PE firms — tripled since 2022. Without competitive benchmarks, you're negotiating blind.

80–92%

Senior ops now receive carry. Candidates know allocation patterns. Firms often don't.

2–3x

Comp variation for identical roles across firms. Know where you stand before negotiating.

Inside the Report

Six core sections. Granular data. Actionable benchmarks.

Cash Compensation by Fund AUM

Five fund tiers: <$500M to $25B+

Six career levels mapped

Base, bonus, total cash

2024 actuals + 2026 projections

Carried Interest Economics

Eligibility rates by level

Carry dollars at work: $100K–$60M+

Vesting structures analyzed

Path to parity with deal teams

Co-Investment Rights

60–71% now have rights

Fund-based vs. deal-based

Allocation trends by seniority

Emerging fee structures

Investment Strategy Impact

LMM vs. Large Cap dynamics

10–15% complexity premium

Middle market positioning

Deal size role implications

Winning Firm Practices

IC inclusion impact

Pre-LOI diligence trends

Compensation parity structures

Retention correlation data

Professional Backgrounds

27% from consulting

21% PE-to-PE (tripled)

Specialist premiums quantified

Career progression patterns

Fund AUM	Base Salary	Bonus	2026 Total Cash	Carry At Work
<$500M	$320K–$500K	$100K–$200K	$455K–$760K	$200K–$3M
$500M–$3B	$400K–$650K	$150K–$400K	$595K–$1.14M	$1M–$8M
$3B–$10B	$500K–$815K	$200K–$500K	$755K–$1.4M	$2M–$15M
$10B–$25B	$575K–$900K	$350K–$650K	$1.0M–$1.68M	$5M–$25M
$25B+	$600K–$1.0M	$450K–$750K	$1.13M–$1.9M	$10M–$60M+

Full report includes all six career levels with detailed experience benchmarks. Source: Industry compensation surveys, Press & Associates proprietary data.

100%

PE Ops Exclusive

Only firm focused solely on portfolio operations roles. Not diluted across industries — every placement informs this data.

Real Offers

Live Market Visibility

Direct access to actual negotiations and accepted offers. Not survey responses — what firms actually pay.

5 Tiers

Granular Segmentation

Fund size drives compensation. Five AUM tiers mean precise benchmarks — not averaged across all funds.

2024–2026

Current + Forward

Actuals from this year. Projections based on observed negotiation patterns and market trends.

Carry Data

Beyond Eligibility

Not just who gets carry — actual allocation patterns and dollars at work by fund size.

Trusted

Market Leaders

HIG, Platinum Equity, Berkshire Partners, GTCR, & Francisco Partners rely on this intelligence.

2026 PE Portfolio Operations Compensation Report

Firms that align operating partner economics outperform by 2–3 percentage points.

The Compensation Challenge

Inside the Report

Cash Compensation by Fund AUM

Carried Interest Economics

Co-Investment Rights

Investment Strategy Impact

Winning Firm Practices

Professional Backgrounds

Sample Data

Why This Data Is Credible

Built for PE Stakeholders

Managing Partners & Founders

COOs

Human Capital & Talent

Portfolio Ops & Value Creation Professionals

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