Running risk on systematic strategies
Quant Trader salary
How much does a quant trader earn?
A quant trader runs risk on systematic strategies — sizing positions, managing execution and adjusting to live market conditions. New York total compensation typically ranges from around $200,000 at entry level to well over $1,000,000 for experienced traders, with the bonus tied directly to desk profit and loss.
By city
Total compensation range and median in each market's local currency.
| Market | Currency | Range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | USD | $200k – $3.0m | $450k |
| London | GBP | £134k – £2.0m | £302k |
| Chicago | USD | $210k – $3.1m | $473k |
| Singapore | SGD | S$220k – S$3.3m | S$494k |
| Hong Kong | HKD | HK$1.3m – HK$20m | HK$3.0m |
| Amsterdam | EUR | €156k – €2.3m | €352k |
| San Francisco | USD | $190k – $2.9m | $428k |
| Paris | EUR | €125k – €1.9m | €282k |
| Zurich / Geneva | CHF | CHF 158k – CHF 2.4m | CHF 356k |
| Dubai / Abu Dhabi | AED | AED 646k – AED 9.7m | AED 1.5m |
By seniority
New York reference market, US dollars. Base salary and total compensation.
| Level | Experience | Base | Total comp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Trader | 0-2 yrs | $125k – $175k | $200k – $400k |
| Trader | 2-5 yrs | $150k – $225k | $350k – $800k |
| Senior Trader | 5-8 yrs | $175k – $275k | $600k – $1.5m |
| Head of Desk | 8+ yrs | $250k – $400k | $900k – $3.0m |
About the role
Where research produces the signal, the trader owns the outcome. The role spans strategy calibration, risk limits, execution quality and real-time judgement when models meet conditions they were not trained on. It is the most directly performance-linked seat in the industry: two traders with identical titles at the same firm can be several multiples apart on total compensation in the same year.
Skills firms hire for
- Probability
- Risk management
- Python
- Market microstructure
- Mental arithmetic
- Execution
Typical backgrounds
- —Mathematics or engineering undergraduate
- —Trading competition and poker backgrounds
- —Physics graduates
- —Internal promotion from research or dev
Other roles
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.