Western Alliance Bank: how it compares with its peers
Against 30 U.S. banks with half to twice its assets, Western Alliance Bank's strongest measure in Q2 2026 is assets per employee ($24.1M vs. a $12.5M peer median). Its weakest relative measure is return on assets (1.16% vs. 1.24%).
| Measure | Western Alliance Bank | Peer median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on assets Annualized net income over average assets. | 1.16% | 1.24% | Middle third Ahead of 37% of peers |
| Net interest margin Annualized net interest income over earning assets. | 3.52% | 3.31% | Middle third Ahead of 60% of peers |
| Efficiency ratio Noninterest expense per dollar of revenue. Lower is better. | 55.67% | 54.42% | Middle third Ahead of 40% of peers |
| Assets per employee Total assets over full-time-equivalent staff. | $24.1M | $12.5M | Top third Ahead of 86% of peers |
| Loans to deposits Net loans and leases over total deposits. | 79.06% | 83.60% | Context |
What it means for lending operations
Its efficiency ratio of 55.67% is above the 54.42% peer median: it spends more to earn each dollar of revenue than most banks its size. Staff time on manual borrower verification (collecting pay stubs, bank statements, and employment letters, then re-keying them) is one of the larger controllable costs behind that number.
Banks closest in size
- City National Bank Los Angeles, CA · $99.10B
- Santander Bank, N.A. Wilmington, DE · $103.96B
- USAA Federal Savings Bank Phoenix, AZ · $106.19B
- Zions Bancorporation, N.A. Salt Lake City, UT · $89.04B
- Flagstar Bank, National Association Hicksville, NY · $87.71B
Questions about Western Alliance Bank
How big is Western Alliance Bank?
Western Alliance Bank, established in 2003, is headquartered in Phoenix, AZ. It reported $98.57B in total assets in its Q2 2026 FDIC call report and operates 38 offices.
What is Western Alliance Bank's return on assets?
1.16% annualized in Q2 2026, against a 1.24% median for 30 U.S. banks with half to twice its assets, ahead of 37% of them.
What is Western Alliance Bank's efficiency ratio?
55.67% in Q2 2026: it spent about 56 cents in noninterest expense for each dollar of revenue. The peer median is 54.42%, and lower is better.
Is Western Alliance Bank growing its loans?
Net loans grew 10.4% over the year to Q2 2026, while deposits grew 15.3%.
Sources and method
Figures are from the FDIC’s public call report data for the quarter ending 06/30/2026, via FDIC BankFind. Return on assets and net interest margin are annualized year to date. Peers are U.S. banks with half to twice its assets in the same quarter, excluding this bank. The page refreshes daily, so new quarters appear as banks file. Compare another bank or see every Arizona bank ranked.