Builds and runs data-driven trading strategies, using statistics and code to decide what to buy and sell and how to price risk in real time. Glassdoor, cross-checked with Tradermath puts typical pay at $311,190 a year (2026). BLS does not publish separate figures for financial quantitative analysts; it counts them within financial quantitative analyst (SOC 13-2099), whose median pay is $81,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 13-2099
- Business and Financial Operations
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Quantitative Trader in four numbers
- Median pay
- $81,100a year, or $38.99/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $48KTop 10% $151K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +4.1%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+4.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +4.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 9,400137,800 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025137.8K
- Projected 2035143.4K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 137.8K Projected 2035 143.4K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Bachelor's35%
- Master's60%
- Doctorate5%
Highest education held by financial quantitative analysts Segment Value Bachelor's 35% Master's 60% Doctorate 5%
Also advertised as: Quant Trader, Algorithmic Trader, Systematic Trader, Market Maker, Trading Strategist.
Pay
How much do Financial Quantitative Analysts make?
Industry-reported pay
$311,190
Average total pay (base plus bonus), US quantitative traders, self-reported; Tradermath puts first-year total pay in a similar range.
- Top earners
- $515,263
Source: Glassdoor, cross-checked with Tradermath, 2026 (estimate from several industry sources). This is not a BLS figure: BLS counts financial quantitative analysts within financial quantitative analyst, whose pay is shown below. Glassdoor: Quantitative Trader salaries · Tradermath: Quant trader salaries
Every quantitative trader in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$81,100
Middle half earn $61,290 to $110,410
- 10th
- $48,460
- 25th
- $61,290
- 75th
- $110,410
- 90th
- $151,490
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $48,460 |
| 25th | $61,290 |
| Median | $81,100 |
| 75th | $110,410 |
| 90th | $151,490 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $81,100
- Median hourly wage
- $38.99/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $93,810
- People employed
- 132,130
Versus all US occupations
At $81,100, Financial Quantitative Analysts earn 59% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $30,120 a year.
Versus business and financial operations occupations
The median is typical for the Business and Financial Operations group, where the middle occupation pays $80,730.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $151,490 or more while the bottom 10% earn $48,460, a gap of 3.1×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 61% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $125,110, and still leads at $113,839 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Financial Quantitative Analysts the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $125,110 | $113,839 | 2,460 |
| 2Maine | $109,060 | $112,375 | 1,250 |
| 3New York | $107,490 | $99,601 | 9,750 |
| 4Maryland | $101,400 | $96,609 | 3,790 |
| 5Massachusetts | $99,970 | $94,528 | N/A |
| 6New Jersey | $98,630 | $90,648 | 5,510 |
| 7Virginia | $92,930 | $91,915 | 5,070 |
| 8Indiana | $92,410 | $99,015 | 1,930 |
| 9Ohio | $90,060 | $97,075 | 4,170 |
| 10Colorado | $87,430 | $84,841 | 4,030 |
Job outlook
Is Quantitative Trader a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +4.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Financial Quantitative Analysts | +4.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Financial Quantitative Analysts to change 4.1% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 5,600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 9,400 openings are projected each year, 6.8% of the 137,800 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Quantitative Trader
Most quant traders hold a bachelor's or graduate degree in mathematics, statistics, physics, computer science or engineering. Firms test probability, mental math, game theory and coding, often in timed online assessments followed by several rounds of puzzle-style interviews. Many hires come straight from university through summer internship programs.
Registered traders at broker-dealers generally pass FINRA's Securities Industry Essentials exam and the Series 57 Securities Trader Representative exam, usually sponsored by the employer after hiring. Python and C++ skills matter, along with comfort in statistics and machine learning. Competitive programming, math olympiad results, or poker and strategy game experience are common on successful resumes because they show fast reasoning under uncertainty.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as financial quantitative analysts.
- Master's Degree60%
- Bachelor's Degree35%
- Doctoral Degree5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | 60% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 35% |
| Doctoral Degree | 5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Quantitative Trader do?
Quantitative traders make trading decisions with models instead of gut feel. At proprietary trading firms, market makers and hedge funds they design strategies that quote prices, spot small mispricings, or follow statistical signals, then run them through automated systems that place orders in milliseconds.
A typical day mixes live trading with research. In the morning a quant trader checks positions, risk limits and overnight moves. During market hours they watch strategy behavior, adjust parameters, and step in when something looks wrong. Between and after sessions they test new ideas on historical data, work with developers to speed up code, and review profit and loss to understand why a strategy made or lost money.
Day-to-day tasks
- Design trading strategies based on statistical patterns in market data
- Backtest new ideas on historical data and judge whether results are robust
- Monitor live strategies and adjust parameters during market hours
- Manage position sizes and risk limits across instruments
- Collaborate with software engineers to reduce latency in trading systems
- Analyze daily profit and loss to diagnose strategy performance
- Price options and other derivatives using quantitative models
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Quant traders work on trading floors in financial centers such as New York and Chicago, surrounded by screens and sitting next to researchers and engineers. Hours follow market sessions, with early starts and occasional late nights when markets are volatile or systems need fixing. The work is sedentary and intense, and remote work is limited during trading hours.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Mathematics4.4
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.8
- Active Learning3.8
- Writing3.5
- Learning Strategies3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | 4.4 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.5 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Systems Analysis3.3
- Systems Evaluation3.3
- Persuasion3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Instructing3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.3 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.3 |
| Persuasion | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web platform development software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Quantitative Trader?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ICE) built on O*NET's Financial Quantitative Analyst profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Quantitative Trader |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 7 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Investigative6.7
- Conventional5.9
- Enterprising4.1
- Artistic1.9
- Realistic1.6
- Social1.6
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Quantitative Trader
O*NET related occupations
- Business and Financial Operations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Business and Financial Operations
- Business and Financial Operations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
More business and financial operations careers
Median annual pay, with financial quantitative analysts highlighted
- Financial Advisor$105,070
- Accountant$83,680
- Insurance Underwriter$81,370
- Quantitative Trader$81,100
- Coroner$80,730
- Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator$78,000
- Loan Officer$76,690
- Human Resources Specialist$75,940
- Appraiser and Assessor of Real Estate$67,960
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Financial Advisor | $105,070 |
| Accountant | $83,680 |
| Insurance Underwriter | $81,370 |
| Quantitative Trader | $81,100 |
| Coroner | $80,730 |
| Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator | $78,000 |
| Loan Officer | $76,690 |
| Human Resources Specialist | $75,940 |
| Appraiser and Assessor of Real Estate | $67,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Quantitative Trader appears on
Questions
Quantitative Trader: frequently asked questions
How much do Financial Quantitative Analysts make?
Glassdoor, cross-checked with Tradermath reports $311,190 (average total pay (base plus bonus), US quantitative traders, self-reported; Tradermath puts first-year total pay in a similar range, 2026), with top earners around $515,263. BLS does not publish a separate wage for financial quantitative analysts. It counts them within financial quantitative analyst, whose median pay is $81,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $61,290 and $110,410, and the top 10% earn $151,490 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Quantitative Trader?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Financial Quantitative Analysts, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 60.0% hold master's degree.
Is Quantitative Trader a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 4.1% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 9,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Quantitative Trader do?
Quantitative traders make trading decisions with models instead of gut feel. A typical task: design trading strategies based on statistical patterns in market data. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Business intelligence and data analysis software, Data base management system software.
Which states pay Financial Quantitative Analysts the most?
The highest state medians for Financial Quantitative Analysts are District of Columbia ($125,110), Maine ($109,060), New York ($107,490) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Quantitative Trader?
O*NET scores Financial Quantitative Analysts highest on the Investigative, Conventional and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are INTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.