Role guide · updated October 22, 2026
Quant Trader salary: base pay, bonus and career progression
Quant trader pay combines a fixed salary with a bonus that can depend on individual, desk and firm performance. The work ranges from discretionary options decisions to systematic strategies, so compare the actual trading mandate alongside the number.
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Starting salary and graduate offers
Five Ringsâ 2027 New York graduate trader posting lists $300,000 base. SIGâs New York masterâs systematic-trader role also lists $300,000. Flow Tradersâ New York graduate quantitative-trader posting lists $175,000 plus variable remuneration. These are three specific recruiting tracks, not an industry minimum or average.
Published annual base pay · USD · bonus excluded
New York · 2027 campus full-time intake · Source
New York · Graduate quantitative trader · Source
Quant Trader pay by firm and level
8 employer disclosures · USD · base pay, not total compensation
| Firm / role | Location / scope | Published base pay | Bonus / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jane Street Quantitative Trader | New York Multiple levels · See role requirements | $300,000 / year | Annual discretionary bonus; amount not disclosed. Employer postingDisclosure reviewed 2026-10-22 |
| Optiver Quantitative Trader/Researcher â Systematic Options Trading | Chicago Experienced · Experienced | $200,000 / year | Discretionary bonus; amount not disclosed. Employer postingDisclosure reviewed 2026-09-28 |
| Five Rings Campus Full Time 2027 - Quantitative Trader | New York Graduate · 2027 campus full-time intake | $300,000 / year | Bonus is separate from the published base; see the employerâs terms. Employer postingDisclosure reviewed 2026-10-11 |
| Flow Traders Graduate Quantitative Trader | New York Graduate · Graduate quantitative trader | $175,000 / year | Bonus is separate from the published base; see the employerâs terms. Employer postingDisclosure reviewed 2026-10-11 |
| Old Mission Junior Quantitative Trader (Asian Market Hours) | Chicago Experienced · Junior trader; Asian market hours | $125,000â$150,000 / year | Bonus is separate from the published base; see the employerâs terms. Employer postingDisclosure reviewed 2026-10-11 |
| SIG Quantitative Systematic Trader â Masterâs: 2027 | New York Graduate · Masterâs graduate intake; June 2027 start | $300,000 / year | Base pay excludes bonus; confirm the variable-pay terms with the employer. Employer postingDisclosure reviewed 2026-10-11 |
| Wolverine Trading Quantitative Trader â High Frequency Futures | Chicago Experienced · Pay contingent on experience | $150,000â$200,000 / year | Base pay excludes bonus; confirm the variable-pay terms with the employer. Employer postingDisclosure reviewed 2026-10-11 |
| Wolverine Trading Electronic Options Trader | Chicago Experienced · Experienced electronic options trader | $100,000â$150,000 / year | Base pay excludes bonus; confirm the variable-pay terms with the employer. Employer postingDisclosure reviewed 2026-10-11 |
Internship pay: 1 employer disclosures
Internships cover a different work period from full-time roles. Compare the stated rate with the paid duration using the internship salary guide.
1 employer disclosures · USD · base pay, not total compensation
| Firm / role | Location / scope | Published base pay | Bonus / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jump Trading Campus Quantitative Trader (Intern) | Chicago / New York Internship · Campus internship; 10 weeks | $300,000 / year Annualized rate, not the amount paid for the internship. Compare program pay. | Annualized internship base rate; not total program earnings. No bonus amount disclosed. Employer postingDisclosure reviewed 2026-10-22 |
What the role involves
Traders price risk, adjust positions and respond to changing markets. An options market maker, a systematic trader and an execution trader can have different responsibilities and compensation despite sharing a job family.
Experienced and senior compensation
An experienced offer should specify the capital and products you will trade, the ramp-up period, risk limits and how your contribution is assessed. A larger variable component may be valuable, but only after you understand the payout rules and whether any first-year amount is guaranteed.
How to prepare for this career
Prioritize probability, expected value, mental arithmetic and decisions under uncertainty. Practice explaining an initial answer, updating it when the rules change, and identifying the risk in a trade. Systematic roles also need coding and statistics.
Start with the free quant diagnostic, then use the four-week interview study plan to turn gaps into specific practice. For a short placement, use the internship pay guide to compare annualized rates with program earnings.
Prepare for the Roles You Are Targeting
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Compare individual employers
Salary questions, answered
What is a starting quant trader salary?
Five Ringsâ 2027 New York graduate trader posting lists $300,000 base. SIGâs New York masterâs systematic-trader role also lists $300,000. Flow Tradersâ New York graduate quantitative-trader posting lists $175,000 plus variable remuneration. These are three specific recruiting tracks, not an industry minimum or average.
How do base salary and total compensation differ?
Base salary is the fixed recurring amount. Total compensation may also include signing payments, guaranteed bonuses and discretionary performance pay. Check payment timing, deferral and repayment conditions, and compare the first year separately from later years.
How does experience affect compensation?
An experienced offer should specify the capital and products you will trade, the ramp-up period, risk limits and how your contribution is assessed. A larger variable component may be valuable, but only after you understand the payout rules and whether any first-year amount is guaranteed.
What should I study for a quant trader role?
Prioritize probability, expected value, mental arithmetic and decisions under uncertainty. Practice explaining an initial answer, updating it when the rules change, and identifying the risk in a trade. Systematic roles also need coding and statistics.
How to read these salary figures
A posting is one observation
Each row links to an employer disclosure and identifies the role, location, pay period and review date. A posted range is not a measured average of employee earnings, an accepted offer, or a hiring guarantee.
Keep base and bonus separate
Base pay excludes discretionary bonuses unless the source explicitly says otherwise. We do not estimate an undisclosed bonus or turn a base range into a total-compensation claim.
Match the role and pay period
Compare the same location, experience requirements and work period. Internship rates remain in their original units. An annualized rate is not the summer paycheck: use the paid duration to estimate program earnings. See the internship pay examples.
Check the original source
Each disclosure has its own review date. When a later check finds a role is no longer listed, we keep its historical pay with that status beside it and exclude it from the summary ranges and charts. A review date is not a promise the job remains open. This is a selected set of postings, not a representative salary survey.