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What Do Securities and Commodities Trader Do?
Career Description Buy and sell securities and commodities to transfer debt, capital, or risk. Establish and negotiate unit prices and terms of sale.
Life As a Securities & Commodities Trader
- Devise trading, option, or hedge strategies.
- Agree on buying or selling prices at optimal levels for clients.
- Identify opportunities or develop channels for purchase or sale of securities or commodities.
- Make bids or offers to buy or sell securities.
- Make transportation arrangements for sold or purchased commodities.
- Report deficiencies in account payments, securities deliveries, or documentation requirements to avoid rule violations.
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Things a Securities & Commodities Trader Should Know How to Do
Below is a list of the skills most Securities and Commodities Traders say are important on the job.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Other Securities & Commodities Trader Job Titles
- Securities Trader
- Corporate Bond Trader
- Investment Trader
- Bank and Savings Securities Trader
- Block Trader
Job Opportunities for Securities and Commodities Traders
In the United States, there were 375,700 jobs for Securities and Commodities Trader in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.2% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 23,200 new jobs for Securities and Commodities Trader by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 38,000 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Securities & Commodities Trader are Arizona, Utah, and Iowa. Watch out if you plan on working in Massachusetts, New Jersey, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Securities & Commodities Trader Salary
The salary for Securities and Commodities Traders ranges between about $34,360 and $208,000 a year.
Securities and Commodities Traders who work in New York, South Dakota, or Connecticut, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Securities and Commodities Traders in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $82,810 |
Alaska | $101,290 |
Arizona | $72,750 |
Arkansas | $74,490 |
California | $81,610 |
Colorado | $76,160 |
Connecticut | $122,890 |
Delaware | $87,390 |
District of Columbia | $103,380 |
Florida | $82,810 |
Georgia | $77,000 |
Hawaii | $85,660 |
Idaho | $62,690 |
Illinois | $91,640 |
Indiana | $92,400 |
Iowa | $75,380 |
Kansas | $107,500 |
Kentucky | $85,420 |
Louisiana | $89,550 |
Maine | $81,670 |
Maryland | $97,570 |
Massachusetts | $118,310 |
Michigan | $79,320 |
Minnesota | $104,570 |
Mississippi | $78,220 |
Missouri | $80,280 |
Montana | $89,270 |
Nebraska | $86,920 |
Nevada | $70,480 |
New Hampshire | $98,030 |
New Jersey | $98,850 |
New Mexico | $56,380 |
New York | $161,580 |
North Carolina | $88,810 |
North Dakota | $100,060 |
Ohio | $77,960 |
Oklahoma | $78,220 |
Oregon | $66,120 |
Pennsylvania | $86,970 |
Rhode Island | $100,390 |
South Carolina | $75,120 |
South Dakota | $113,460 |
Tennessee | $75,610 |
Texas | $85,720 |
Utah | $71,460 |
Vermont | $105,770 |
Virginia | $90,410 |
Washington | $79,930 |
West Virginia | $83,930 |
Wisconsin | $77,780 |
Wyoming | $70,030 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Securities and Commodities Traders
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Securities and Commodities Traders:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- Linux
- Microsoft Visual Basic
- UNIX
- R
- Customer information control system CICS
- Bloomberg Professional
- C++
How do I Become a Securities & Commodities Trader?
Education needed to be a Securities and Commodities Trader:
How many years of work experience do I need?
References:
Image Credit: Dave Dugdale via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
More about our data sources and methodologies.