Head to head
Optiver vs IMC Trading
Optiver or IMC Trading?
Optiver is a market maker headquartered in Amsterdam; IMC Trading is a market maker headquartered in Amsterdam. On indicative total compensation Optiver sits roughly 5 percentage points higher against the market median. The larger difference for most candidates is the work itself: options market making and volatility at Optiver, versus options market making and equities at IMC Trading.
| Optiver | IMC Trading | |
|---|---|---|
| Business model | Market maker | Market maker |
| Headquarters | Amsterdam | Amsterdam |
| Founded | 1986 | 1989 |
| Comp vs market median | +10% | +5% |
| Offices | Amsterdam, Chicago, London, Singapore, Hong Kong, Paris | Amsterdam, Chicago, Singapore, Hong Kong, London |
| Strategies | Options market making, Volatility, Delta one | Options market making, Equities, Systematic trading |
| Hires for | Quant Trader, Quant Developer, HFT / Low-Latency Engineer, Quant Researcher | Quant Trader, Quant Developer, HFT / Low-Latency Engineer |
| Interview stages | 3 | 3 |
| Typical backgrounds | Quantitative undergraduates, Econometrics, Engineering graduates | Quantitative undergraduates, Computer science, Physics |
Compensation by role
Indicative mid-level total compensation, US dollars, New York reference market.
| Role | Optiver | IMC Trading |
|---|---|---|
| Quant Researcher | — | — |
| Quant Trader | $420k | $390k |
| Quant Developer | $320k | $300k |
| HFT / Low-Latency Engineer | $380k | $360k |
A dash means we hold no indicative figure for that role at that firm. It is recorded as unknown rather than estimated.
Optiver
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.
Interview process
- 1. Numerical testTimed mental arithmetic and sequences — a genuine filter.
- 2. Technical / probabilityOptions intuition, expected value and market-making scenarios.
- 3. On-siteTrading games, case discussion and culture assessment.
IMC Trading
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.
Interview process
- 1. AssessmentNumerical reasoning and logic.
- 2. Technical interviewProbability, options and programming depending on track.
- 3. FinalTrading simulation and team interviews.
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.
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.