Firm intelligence
The firms that hire quants
Compensation positioning, strategy mix, office locations and interview process for the leading quantitative employers.
Compare firms head to head →Which firms pay quants the most?
Citadel, Jane Street, Hudson River Trading and D. E. Shaw sit at the top of the market for quant compensation, typically paying 20-30% above the median for the same role and seniority. Multi-strategy platforms such as Citadel and Millennium pay the highest absolute numbers at portfolio-manager level, where compensation is a share of profit.
| Firm | Type | HQ | Offices | Pay vs market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citadel / Citadel Securities | Multi-strategy platform | Miami | 7 | +30% |
| Jane Street | Proprietary trading | New York | 5 | +25% |
| Hudson River Trading | Proprietary trading | New York | 5 | +22% |
| Jump Trading | Proprietary trading | Chicago | 6 | +20% |
| D. E. Shaw | Systematic manager | New York | 4 | +20% |
| Millennium Management | Multi-strategy platform | New York | 6 | +18% |
| Two Sigma | Systematic manager | New York | 4 | +15% |
| DRW | Proprietary trading | Chicago | 5 | +12% |
| Point72 | Multi-strategy platform | Stamford | 5 | +12% |
| Optiver | Market maker | Amsterdam | 6 | +10% |
| Susquehanna (SIG) | Market maker | Philadelphia | 5 | +8% |
| IMC Trading | Market maker | Amsterdam | 5 | +5% |
| Marshall Wace | Hedge fund | London | 4 | +5% |
| Man Group | Systematic manager | London | 5 | -5% |
| Winton | Systematic manager | London | 2 | -10% |
Pay positioning vs market median for equivalent role and seniority · September 2026
Jane Street
Proprietary trading
Known for ETF and options market making at scale, an unusually strong graduate pipeline, and a distinctive engineering culture built around OCaml. Entry-level packages are among the highest in the industry, and the firm hires heavily for probabilistic reasoning rather than finance knowledge.
New York · London · Hong Kong · Singapore · Amsterdam
Citadel / Citadel Securities
Multi-strategy platform
Two connected businesses — the hedge fund and the market-making arm — that between them cover almost every quantitative discipline. Compensation is top of market and the performance bar is correspondingly high. The most common destination for senior researchers and portfolio managers changing platform.
New York · Chicago · London · Hong Kong · San Francisco · Paris · Dubai / Abu Dhabi
Hudson River Trading
Proprietary trading
Engineering-first proprietary firm where the distinction between researcher and developer is deliberately blurred. Strong reputation for technical depth and for paying engineers at research levels.
New York · Chicago · London · Singapore · San Francisco
Jump Trading
Proprietary trading
Latency-focused firm with a heavy investment in hardware, networking and FPGA. Notably private about its operations, and a leading destination for low-latency specialists.
Chicago · New York · London · Singapore · Hong Kong · Amsterdam
Optiver
Market maker
One of the largest options market makers globally, with a strong graduate programme and a trading culture built around speed of reasoning. Amsterdam base salaries look modest until the bonus multiple is accounted for.
Amsterdam · Chicago · London · Singapore · Hong Kong · Paris
IMC Trading
Market maker
Long-established market maker with a technology-led approach and a reputation for a more balanced culture than some peers, while remaining highly competitive on compensation.
Amsterdam · Chicago · Singapore · Hong Kong · London
DRW
Proprietary trading
Diversified proprietary firm covering traditional derivatives alongside significant digital-asset and venture activity. Broader strategy mix than most Chicago peers.
Chicago · London · Amsterdam · Singapore · New York
Two Sigma
Systematic manager
Technology-company culture applied to systematic investing, with heavy use of machine learning and alternative data. Competes with AI labs and large technology firms as much as with other funds.
New York · London · Hong Kong · San Francisco
D. E. Shaw
Systematic manager
One of the original quantitative funds and still among the most selective. Combines systematic and discretionary businesses, with a research culture that rewards depth over speed.
New York · London · Hong Kong · Singapore
Millennium Management
Multi-strategy platform
The archetypal pod platform: independent teams with their own books, tight risk limits and a formulaic payout. The most active hirer of portfolio managers and whole teams, including into the Gulf.
New York · London · Dubai / Abu Dhabi · Hong Kong · Singapore · Zurich / Geneva
Point72
Multi-strategy platform
Discretionary heritage with a substantial and growing systematic business, plus a well-known academy programme that trains analysts from outside finance.
New York · London · Hong Kong · Singapore · Dubai / Abu Dhabi
Susquehanna (SIG)
Market maker
Decision-theory and game-theory driven culture, famous for teaching poker as part of trader development. Strong graduate training and a distinctive approach to probabilistic reasoning.
New York · Chicago · London · Hong Kong · Singapore
Man Group
Systematic manager
The largest listed hedge fund manager, with AHL as its systematic engine and a strong academic research culture including university partnerships. A common route into systematic research in London.
London · New York · Hong Kong · Zurich / Geneva · Paris
Marshall Wace
Hedge fund
Best known for its systematic alpha-capture platform combined with a large discretionary equity business. A leading London destination for equity-focused quantitative research.
London · New York · Hong Kong · Dubai / Abu Dhabi
Winton
Systematic manager
Research-led systematic manager with a strongly scientific culture and an emphasis on long-horizon statistical work rather than short-term signals.
London · Hong Kong
Methodology
Figures are expressed as annual total compensation (base salary plus expected performance bonus) in the reference market's local currency, converted from a US dollar base. They describe typical market ranges rather than any individual offer, and exclude sign-on payments, deferred equity and carried interest. Portfolio-manager figures reflect formulaic profit-share arrangements and are therefore far more dispersed than any other role.
KnowQaunt 2026.1 · Updated September 2026
These are indicative ranges pending first-party verification. They will be replaced by verified submissions as the Quant Salary Index dataset builds.