Chicago sub-market · Rank #1 of 10 for this discipline
Market making in Chicago
What is the market making market like in Chicago?
Chicago is one of the core global centres for market making. Market makers quote continuous two-sided prices and earn the spread while managing inventory risk. Options market making is the largest and most quantitative variant, requiring volatility modelling alongside fast systems. Typical holding horizon is continuous, hiring concentrates on quant trader, hft / low-latency engineer, quant developer, and 7 of the firms we track run a Chicago desk. Pay sits at roughly 97% of the New York benchmark for the equivalent role and seniority, quoted in USD.
Market making compensation in Chicago
Mid-level total compensation for the roles this discipline hires, in USD.
| Role | Range | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Quant Trader | $210k – $3.1m | $473k |
| HFT / Low-Latency Engineer | $216k – $1.5m | $416k |
| Quant Developer | $175k – $1.2m | $330k |
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.
Chicago · Market making · KnowQaunt 2026.1