Head to head
DRW vs Jump Trading
DRW or Jump Trading?
DRW is a proprietary trading headquartered in Chicago; Jump Trading is a proprietary trading headquartered in Chicago. On indicative total compensation Jump Trading sits roughly 8 percentage points higher against the market median. The larger difference for most candidates is the work itself: options and fixed income at DRW, versus high-frequency trading and latency arbitrage at Jump Trading.
| DRW | Jump Trading | |
|---|---|---|
| Business model | Proprietary trading | Proprietary trading |
| Headquarters | Chicago | Chicago |
| Founded | 1992 | 1999 |
| Comp vs market median | +12% | +20% |
| Offices | Chicago, London, Amsterdam, Singapore, New York, Greenwich / Stamford, Toronto | Chicago, New York, London, Singapore, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Sydney, Shanghai |
| Strategies | Options, Fixed income, Crypto, Real assets, Market making | High-frequency trading, Latency arbitrage, Crypto, Systematic trading |
| Hires for | Quant Trader, Quant Researcher, HFT / Low-Latency Engineer, Quant Developer | HFT / Low-Latency Engineer, Quant Researcher, Quant Trader |
| Interview stages | 3 | 3 |
| Typical backgrounds | Mathematics and engineering, Trading backgrounds, Software engineering | Embedded and hardware engineering, Physics PhDs, Network engineering |
Compensation by role
Indicative mid-level total compensation, US dollars, New York reference market.
| Role | DRW | Jump Trading |
|---|---|---|
| Quant Researcher | $470k | $500k |
| Quant Trader | $480k | $550k |
| Quant Developer | - | - |
| HFT / Low-Latency Engineer | $450k | $520k |
A dash means we hold no indicative figure for that role at that firm. It is recorded as unknown rather than estimated.
DRW
Diversified proprietary firm covering traditional derivatives alongside significant digital-asset and venture activity. Broader strategy mix than most Chicago peers.
Interview process
- 1. ScreenBackground and motivation.
- 2. TechnicalProbability and programming, weighted to the specific desk.
- 3. On-siteDesk interviews and scenario discussion.
Jump 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.
Interview process
- 1. ScreenTechnical recruiter and background.
- 2. Technical roundsC++ depth, computer architecture and low-level performance reasoning.
- 3. On-siteSystems design, hardware discussion and team fit.
Markets where both compete for talent
Other comparisons
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.
KnowQuantIndex 2026.1 · Updated September 2026
Modelled bands describe the market, not an individual offer. Where an employer states pay, the stated figure is used and labelled as such.
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