Working at Goldman Sachs in 2026: Growth, AI, and the Questions Behind the Offer

Goldman Sachs is investing in selected parts of its business while changing how work gets done. For someone considering a role there, both developments matter. An expanding business can create substantive opportunities. A redesign program can alter a position's responsibilities, location or supporting resources. The useful question is where the proposed job sits within those changes. [S12-S17; C014-C017, C054]

The public company is The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., headquartered in New York and listed on the NYSE as GS. Employment can sit within different subsidiaries, including securities, banking and asset-management entities. A candidate should establish the legal employer early, particularly when comparing benefits, policies or an acquisition-related opportunity. [S01-S03; C001-C002]

Stronger results provide context for the career decision

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Goldman's consolidated net earnings increased from $8.516 billion in 2023 to $14.276 billion in 2024 and $17.176 billion in 2025. Its latest reported quarter at the research date, Q2 2026, produced $20.34 billion in net revenues and $6.63 billion in net earnings. The same quarter in 2025 produced $14.58 billion and $3.72 billion respectively. [S04, S07-S08, S14; C003, C008-C009]

That is a stronger profitability picture than the 2023 baseline. It remains a group-level picture. The numbers do not establish whether a particular vacancy has a protected budget, whether a manager is replacing a departure or whether the team is expected to deliver more work with fewer handoffs.

The distinction becomes especially important when a recruiter describes an opportunity as part of the firm's growth. Ask what created the position, which approved budget funds it and how its contribution will be measured. A clear answer connects the corporate narrative to the actual job.

It is also sensible to resist projecting one strong quarter into every future period. In September, Reuters reported management comments describing somewhat softer fixed-income, currencies and commodities activity alongside stronger equities conditions. Those were outlook comments before the quarter ended, rather than reported Q3 results. [S36; C057]

Expansion is visible in engineering and investment products

Goldman opened a Bellevue, Washington engineering office in September 2026, with capacity for more than 125 employees and a stated focus on AI and cloud transformation. Office capacity is evidence of a physical commitment. It is not a verified count of new hires or available vacancies. [S15; C014]

In asset management, the firm completed its Innovator acquisition in April and said more than 70 employees joined. Its August agreement to acquire NEOS is a different kind of event: closing was expected in the first quarter of 2027, subject to approvals and other conditions. NEOS should therefore remain a pending transaction in a September career assessment. [S16-S17; C015-C016]

These developments suggest useful areas to investigate for professionals interested in engineering, investment products, integration, distribution and controls. The relevant opportunity is the work a role would actually own. An assignment connected to a major acquisition could develop valuable coordination and operating skills. It could also involve a narrowly defined transition task. The announcement cannot settle that distinction.

Ask what the role will deliver during the next year, who sponsors it and whether the position remains necessary after the first integration or implementation milestone. The answers help separate a durable operating mandate from a temporary project description.

AI adoption raises questions about tasks and accountability

Reuters reported a firmwide rollout of GS AI Assistant in June 2025. Goldman's subsequent strategy describes workflow redesign across areas including client onboarding, regulatory reporting, lending and enterprise risk. This is evidence of workplace deployment and operating-model attention, rather than a claim based solely on a technology vendor's announcement. [S12, S37; C043-C044]

The evidence does not establish a percentage of jobs that AI will replace. It also does not support attributing every workforce change to AI. Goldman's efficiency program has broader organizational and location dimensions. [S13, S35; C017-C018, C054]

For a candidate, the practical inquiry concerns changed tasks. Which work is now assisted by AI? Who checks the output? What information may be used? How are exceptions handled? Does a productivity improvement create time for more valuable work, or does it change the volume expected from the same role?

Professionals who can combine domain knowledge with implementation discipline may find meaningful work in such an environment. That is an interpretation of the disclosed priorities, not confirmation of an open position. The value would come from solving an operational problem with clear responsibility for quality and risk. [C059]

The prospective manager deserves as much attention as the brand

Goldman's public training material describes a Three Conversations structure for goals, progress and year-end review. It also describes orientation and development programs. These provide a useful framework for asking about management support. They do not show how consistently every team follows the framework. [S23; C021, C042]

Accessible employee-review excerpts contain contrasting accounts of managers, learning and workload. A Dallas tax-associate review describes generally workable balance with busy periods; a treasury-operations review reports long hours and weak support. Neither account establishes conditions across Goldman, and the contributors' employment histories were not independently verified. [S34; C022-C023]

The productive response is to investigate the team directly. Ask the manager how priorities changed during the last busy period, how competing requests were resolved and what support was added. Ask a prospective peer how often feedback arrives before formal review time.

A particularly revealing question is: “When an employee is accountable for a result that depends on another team, how do you evaluate their contribution?” It focuses attention on the connection between responsibility and authority, which matters in any role involving coordination.

Work arrangements need written confirmation

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Goldman's public benefits page permits manager-approved flexible arrangements. Historical reporting described a five-day office policy. Those statements may reflect a default rule and exceptions, or different dates and populations. They do not establish a universal remote or hybrid entitlement for a September 2026 hire. [S22, S35; C024]

Candidates should verify the assigned office, attendance expectations, time-zone coverage and whether an approved exception survives a manager or team change. An office address in a listing does not answer all of those questions.

The same care applies to leave. The public benefits overview describes a range of offerings and a vacation-use expectation, but the applicable entitlement depends on the local plan and worker eligibility. Coverage during absence is a separate team-level issue. [S22; C025-C026]

Before accepting, obtain the current benefits summary for the actual employing entity and classification. Then ask how the team covers work when someone is away. A policy can be attractive on paper while the operating arrangements still need explanation.

Salary ranges are useful when their boundaries stay attached

Three detailed secondary-board descriptions supplied concrete New York base-pay evidence. An investment-grade capital-markets associate listing advertised $150,000 to $225,000 annually. A legal administrative-assistant listing advertised $70,000 to $110,000. [S31, S33; C027, C029]

The inspected private-wealth-advisor listing contains a discrepancy: its main text gives $80,000 to $160,000, while an embedded overview starts at $85,000. Both lower bounds should remain visible until the official requisition or recruiter resolves the difference. [S32; C028]

These figures are advertised base ranges. They are not accepted offers, average pay or total compensation. The descriptions mention possible discretionary bonus eligibility, but they do not establish target payouts, stock awards, vesting or a guaranteed minimum. [S31-S33; C030]

The right offer conversation separates base salary from contingent compensation and any deferred award. Confirm the review period, payment timing, first-year treatment and conditions attached to leaving before payment. A candidate should also understand how the firm, team and individual contribute to the compensation decision.

Advancement depends on access to the right work

Goldman describes formal learning and milestone programs, but eligibility varies. Pine Street leadership development, for example, applies to partners and selected managing directors. A development program's existence does not establish protected learning time or admission for every employee. [S23; C042]

For an experienced professional, the advancement question is whether the team provides assignments that demonstrate readiness for greater responsibility. Ask what distinguishes strong performance at the current level from readiness for promotion, who provides sponsorship and when the criteria are discussed.

Returning professionals have a more specific route to investigate. The paid, full-time Returnship describes a twelve-week program, at least three years of prior work and at least two years away from full-time work. The Americas page identifies January through March 2027 and interest registration. That should not be presented as verified open Americas vacancies. [S26; C037]

Other access programs also require a current check. The neurodiversity page contains historical cohort language, and the inspected veterans-program page says applications are closed. A program page can remain useful background after its application window changes. [S27-S28; C038-C039]

Fair treatment and employee voice require specific questions

Goldman publishes integrity-reporting channels and a non-retaliation policy. A published process establishes a route for raising concerns; it does not independently demonstrate how effectively every concern is handled. [S39; C046]

The historical employment record also matters. In November 2023, a court finally approved the $215 million Chen-Oster settlement for a defined class of U.S. female associates and vice presidents in specified revenue-producing divisions. The order included performance, promotion and pay-review provisions and directed closure of the case. Settlement approval was not a trial liability finding, and this research did not establish subsequent implementation results. [S43; C049-C050]

A separate 2024 CFPB order concerns Goldman Sachs Bank USA's consumer practices. Its scope should remain distinct from employment treatment, and the accompanying stipulation limits admissions. [S40-S42; C047-C048]

For a candidate, these records support questions about how disputed evaluations are reviewed, how employees raise concerns outside the immediate reporting line and how control staff obtain the authority needed to address a problem. Broad assurances are less useful than a clear current process.

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Judge the role by the work it will let you demonstrate

The strongest career case for a Goldman role rests on the capabilities it can develop and the contribution it allows a professional to make. Financing execution, client development, regulated operations and governed technology implementation offer different kinds of experience. Their future value depends on actual responsibility, feedback and results that can be explained without exposing confidential information. [S15, S31-S33, S37; C053, C059]

Before committing, establish the role's funded mandate, the manager's expectations, the decision rights attached to the work and the written employment terms. Ask what a successful employee will be able to own independently after a year. That answer is more useful than relying on the company name to supply a career outcome.

Research method and limitations

This article draws on SEC filing components, official results and announcements, public careers materials, original legal records, independent reporting and a limited set of employee-review excerpts. The job review found seventeen distinct secondary-board records, with only three detailed descriptions and fourteen additional cards, all in New York or Jersey City. Official careers interfaces were not readable in this run, so no requisition was verified as active in the official system. Board visibility does not establish current hiring availability. Employee accounts are attributed experiences, not representative workforce findings. Recheck volatile claims before publication or an application decision. No employee interviews, publication, applications or Link integration were performed. [S31-S34, S44-S45; C035-C036]

Sources used in this article

Source IDs match the full dossier and evidence package.

S01. 2025 Form 10-K filing index. SEC EDGAR / The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.. 2026-02-25. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/886982/000088698226000091/0000886982-26-000091-index.htm

S02. 2025 Form 10-K cover information. SEC EDGAR / The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.. 2026-02-25. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/886982/000088698226000091/R1.htm

S03. Exhibit 21.1: Significant subsidiaries. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. via SEC EDGAR. 2026-02-25. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/886982/000088698226000091/gs-12312025exhibit211.htm

S04. Consolidated Statements of Earnings, 2025/2024/2023. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. via SEC EDGAR. 2026-02-25. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/886982/000088698226000091/R3.htm

S07. 2026 second-quarter earnings release. Goldman Sachs. 2026-07-14. https://www.goldmansachs.com/pressroom/press-releases/2026/2026-07-14-q2-results

S08. 2025 second-quarter earnings release. Goldman Sachs. 2025-07-16. https://www.goldmansachs.com/pressroom/press-releases/2025/2025-07-16-q2-results

S12. 2025 Annual Report: Letter to Shareholders. Goldman Sachs. 2026-03-20. https://www.goldmansachs.com/investor-relations/financials/current/annual-reports/2025-annual-report

S13. 2024 Annual Report: Letter to Shareholders. Goldman Sachs. 2025-03-14. https://www.goldmansachs.com/investor-relations/financials/current/annual-reports/2024-annual-report

S14. Financials: latest reporting hub. Goldman Sachs. Publication date not disclosed. https://www.goldmansachs.com/investor-relations/financials

S15. Goldman Sachs Opens New Engineering Office in Bellevue, Washington. Goldman Sachs. 2026-09-08. https://www.goldmansachs.com/pressroom/press-releases/2026/goldman-sachs-opens-new-engineering-office-in-bellevue-washington

S16. Goldman Sachs Announces Agreement to Acquire NEOS Investments. Goldman Sachs. 2026-08-12. https://www.goldmansachs.com/pressroom/press-releases/2026/goldman-sachs-announces-agreement-to-acquire-NEOS-investments

S17. Goldman Sachs Completes Acquisition of Innovator Capital Management. Goldman Sachs. 2026-04-02. https://www.goldmansachs.com/pressroom/press-releases/2026/goldman-sachs-completes-acquisition-of-innovator-capital-management

S22. Careers: Benefits. Goldman Sachs. Publication date not disclosed. https://www.goldmansachs.com/careers/benefits

S23. Careers: Training. Goldman Sachs. Publication date not disclosed. https://www.goldmansachs.com/careers/life-at-goldman-sachs/training

S26. Returnship. Goldman Sachs. Publication date not disclosed. https://www.goldmansachs.com/careers/programs-for-professionals/returnship

S27. Neurodiversity Hiring Initiative. Goldman Sachs. Publication date not disclosed. https://www.goldmansachs.com/careers/programs-for-professionals/neurodiversity-hiring-initiative

S28. Veterans Integration Program. Goldman Sachs. Publication date not disclosed. https://www.goldmansachs.com/careers/programs-for-professionals/veterans-integration-program

S31. Investment Grade Capital Markets Associate, New York. NIRI Career Center / Goldman Sachs employer-labelled listing. 2026-09-15. https://jobs.niri.org/job/7432/global-banking-markets-capital-solutions-group-investment-grade-capital-markets-associate-new-york/

S32. Goldman Sachs jobs near Jersey City: cards and embedded PWM advisor description. Indeed / Goldman Sachs-labelled job content. Publication date not disclosed. https://www.indeed.com/q-goldman-sachs-l-jersey-city,-nj-jobs.html

S33. Legal, Finance & Corporate Legal, Administrative Assistant, New York. Association of Legal Administrators Job Bank / Goldman Sachs-labelled listing. 2026-08-11. https://jobs.alanet.org/job/8172/legal-finance-corporate-legal-administrative-assistant-new-york/

S34. Goldman Sachs employee reviews: accessible first page. Indeed contributors. Publication date not disclosed. https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Goldman-Sachs/reviews

S35. Project Voyage: Goldman Sachs efficiency and location changes. Business Insider. 2025-03-06. https://www.businessinsider.com/project-voyage-goldman-sachs-plan-dallas-vice-presidents-layoffs-2025-3

S36. Goldman CEO says FICC business slightly softer in Q3. Reuters. 2026-09-16. https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/goldman-ceo-says-fixed-income-currencies-commodities-business-slightly-softer-q3-2026-09-16/

S37. Goldman Sachs launches AI assistant firmwide, memo shows. Reuters. 2025-06-23. https://www.reuters.com/business/goldman-sachs-launches-ai-assistant-firmwide-memo-shows-2025-06-23/

S39. Raising Integrity Concerns. Goldman Sachs. Publication date not disclosed. https://www.goldmansachs.com/investor-relations/corporate-governance/board-and-governance/raising-integrity-concerns

S40. Goldman Sachs Bank USA enforcement action. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 2024-10-23. https://www.consumerfinance.gov/enforcement/actions/goldman-sachs-bank-usa/

S41. Consent Order: Goldman Sachs Bank USA. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 2024-10-23. https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_goldman-sachs-bank-usa-consent-order_2024-10.pdf

S42. Stipulation: Goldman Sachs Bank USA. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 2024-10-23. https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_goldman-sachs-bank-usa-stipulation_2024-10.pdf

S43. Chen-Oster v. Goldman Sachs: final settlement approval, Document 1467. U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, hosted by Justia. 2023-11-07. https://cases.justia.com/federal/district-courts/new-york/nysdce/1:2010cv06950/368205/1467/0.pdf?ts=1699461864

S44. Official Goldman Sachs role portal. Goldman Sachs. Publication date not disclosed. https://higher.gs.com/

S45. Goldman Sachs lateral-hiring candidate site. Oracle-hosted Goldman Sachs candidate site. Publication date not disclosed. https://hdpc.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/LateralHiring/jobs