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Create CVIf you're searching for trader salary US, you're likely asking: How much does a trader actually make? The answer is far more complex than a simple base salary.
In the United States, trader compensation is heavily performance-driven, with total earnings ranging from $80,000 to $2,000,000+ annually, depending on experience, firm type, and profitability. Unlike many traditional careers, traders earn a significant portion of their income through bonuses, profit-sharing, and incentives tied directly to performance.
This guide breaks down:
Average trader salary in the US
Salary by experience level
Compensation by trading specialization
Bonus structures and total compensation (TC)
How firms actually determine trader pay
How to maximize your earning potential
In trading roles, base salary is only one piece of the puzzle. Most high-performing traders earn the majority of their income through variable compensation.
Entry-Level Trader Salary: $70,000 – $120,000 base
Mid-Level Trader Salary: $120,000 – $200,000 base
Senior Trader Salary: $200,000 – $400,000+ base
Hedge Fund / Prop Trader Total Compensation: $300,000 – $2,000,000+
Average Base Salary: $130,000 – $180,000
Typical roles:
Analyst at investment banks
Junior trader at proprietary trading firms
Compensation:
Base Salary: $70,000 – $100,000
Bonus: $10,000 – $50,000
Total Compensation: $80,000 – $140,000
Reality: At this level, bonuses are often discretionary and tied to desk performance rather than individual P&L.
Typical roles:
Base: $100,000 – $200,000
Total Compensation: $200,000 – $600,000
Highly dependent on:
Market volatility
Institutional flow
Base: $120,000 – $220,000
Total Compensation: $250,000 – $800,000
Often higher stability but lower upside vs equities.
Average Total Compensation: $200,000 – $500,000
Key Insight: In trading, top performers can earn 5–10x their base salary, while underperformers may earn little or no bonus.
Associate trader
Junior portfolio manager
Independent P&L responsibility
Compensation:
Base Salary: $120,000 – $180,000
Bonus: $50,000 – $250,000
Total Compensation: $180,000 – $400,000
Key Shift: Traders begin to earn based on direct revenue generation, not just team performance.
Typical roles:
Lead trader
Desk head
Portfolio manager
Compensation:
Base Salary: $200,000 – $350,000
Bonus: $200,000 – $1,000,000+
Total Compensation: $400,000 – $1.5M+
Critical Insight: Compensation is tied almost entirely to profitability and risk-adjusted returns.
Hedge fund portfolio managers
High-frequency trading leaders
Top proprietary traders
Compensation:
These individuals operate at scale and often receive:
Profit-sharing agreements
Equity stakes in funds
Multi-year bonus structures
Base: $130,000 – $250,000
Total Compensation: $300,000 – $1,000,000+
High risk, high reward due to leverage and complexity.
Base: $50,000 – $150,000 (sometimes none)
Profit Share: 20% – 80%
Total Compensation:
Key Insight: Some prop traders earn zero base salary but receive massive upside.
Base: $150,000 – $300,000
Bonus: 5% – 20% of generated profits
Total Compensation:
Fixed income component
Stability buffer
Less important at senior levels
The largest component of trader income.
Based on:
Individual P&L
Risk-adjusted returns
Desk profitability
Common in hedge funds and prop firms:
5% – 20% of profits (hedge funds)
20% – 80% (prop firms)
Paid over multiple years
Used to retain top performers
Hedge funds may offer ownership stakes
Long-term wealth creation mechanism
Traders are paid based on:
Revenue generated
Consistency
Risk management
Reality: A trader generating $10M in profit may earn $1M+, while one generating nothing earns only base.
Investment Banks → Higher base, lower upside
Hedge Funds → Moderate base, high upside
Prop Firms → Low base, extreme upside
High volatility = higher earning potential
Low volatility = lower bonuses
The more capital you manage:
A strong track record allows:
Better job offers
Higher bonus percentages
Larger risk allocation
From a hiring perspective, trader compensation is not arbitrary. It is structured around risk and expected return.
“What P&L can this candidate generate?”
“What is their verified track record?”
“How much capital can we trust them with?”
Compensation tied to desk budget
Risk limits approved by senior leadership
Internal pay parity
Weak Example:
Candidate asks for a higher salary without proving performance.
Good Example:
Candidate presents:
Verified trading P&L
Sharpe ratio
Risk metrics
Result: Higher compensation offer with better bonus structure.
Document P&L
Show consistency
Highlight risk-adjusted returns
Weak Example:
“I want a $20K higher base.”
Good Example:
“I want a higher percentage of P&L or bonus pool.”
Derivatives
Quant trading
High-frequency trading
More capital = higher earnings potential.
Highest compensation globally
Strong hedge fund presence
Total Compensation: $200K – $2M+
Strong in derivatives and prop trading
Total Compensation: $150K – $1M+
More quant and tech-driven trading
Total Compensation: $200K – $1.5M+
Increasing in prop firms
Compensation tied almost entirely to performance
Algorithmic trading growth
Increased market volatility
Demand for quantitative skills
Automation reducing traditional roles
Increased regulation
Competition from AI-driven strategies
Trader salary in the US is one of the most performance-driven compensation structures in any industry.
Average traders earn: $150K – $400K
Strong performers earn: $400K – $1M+
Elite traders earn: $1M – $10M+
The key differentiator is simple:
Your ability to generate consistent, risk-adjusted profit determines your income ceiling.
If you're entering this field or looking to increase your compensation, focus less on salary and more on:
Performance
Strategy
Capital allocation
Negotiation leverage
That is how top traders dominate earnings in the US market.
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