Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the most profitable securities firm in Wall Street history, promoted 262 executives to managing director a day after adding 115 partners, the firm’s top rank.

Managing directors are appointed annually, while partners are named every other year. The nominations take effect on November 25, the start of the New York-based firm’s new fiscal year. While Goldman doesn’t disclose pay for managing directors, the promotions can be worth millions of dollars and put recipients next in line for the evenmore lucrative title of partner.

“The managing directors are quite well-paid at Goldman Sachs, but not like the partners,” an executive recruiter in New York whose financial-industry clients include Goldman, Henry Higdon, said. “You can’t hang around at Goldman, you’ve got to be productive.”

Goldman’s profit for the first nine months of 2006 surged 60 percent to $6.39 billion — more than any rival made in a full year. That means bigger rewards than ever for the firm’s partners, who share a special bonus at the end of each year, and its managing directors. Compensation for Goldman’s managing directors can range from $1 million to $10 million annually, while some of the most successful partners can make as much as $40 million a year, Mr. Higdon estimated. “Everybody would like for their son or daughter to go to Goldman and become a partner — that’s the Holy Grail on Wall Street.”