Side-by-side distribution
Financial Analyst
$97,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 34.8%
- Live roles
- 3,292
Trader
$150,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 24.9%
- Live roles
- 458
Highest-paying jobs
Financial Analyst
Finance Expert - Public Equities Analyst / PM
Finance Expert - Quant Research & Systematic Trading
Senior Data Scientist / Analyst, Finance
Principal Program Finance Analyst
Senior Business Systems Analyst, Finance Systems (Assets & Lease Management)
Senior Business Systems Analyst, Finance Systems
Sr. Financial Analyst
Lead Financial Analyst- GTM
Lead Financial Analyst
Highest-paying jobs
Quant Trader- E- Trading Municipal Bonds - Director
Trader, Investment Grade Credit
US Equity Index Options Trader
Senior Sales Trader, Equity Distribution Director
Campus Full Time 2027 - Quantitative Trader
Securitized Products Sales - Trader
Summer Intern 2027 - Quantitative Trader
Campus Quantitative Trader (Intern)
Senior Sales Trader, Equity Distribution Director
Senior Equity Options Volatility Trader
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Northrop Grumman
|
$117,700 | 24 |
Amentum
|
$110,000 | 23 |
Houlihan Lokey
|
$117,500 | 20 |
CACI
|
$106,050 | 17 |
Bank of America
|
$122,400 | 15 |
Booz Allen Hamilton
|
$101,500 | 14 |
Anduril Industries
|
$89,500 | 12 |
| TB TD Bank | $70,853 | 12 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Optiver
|
$200,000 | 7 |
|
IMC
|
$250,000 | 5 |
|
Deutsche Bank
|
$275,000 | 4 |
| DR DRW | $200,000 | 4 |
Gelber Group
|
$96,000 | 4 |
Wintermute Trading
|
$225,000 | 3 |
Valkyrietrading
|
$155,000 | 3 |
Akuna Capital
|
$145,000 | 3 |
Financial Analyst salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $124,832 | 19 |
| San Francisco | $111,250 | 34 |
| Atlanta | $109,750 | 20 |
| Austin | $109,250 | 15 |
| Chicago | $101,102 | 80 |
| Los Angeles | $100,875 | 36 |
| New York | $100,000 | 126 |
| Boston | $97,500 | 26 |
| Denver | $92,158 | 30 |
| Toronto | $73,690 | 62 |
Financial Analyst vs Trader: which pays more?
The median for Financial Analyst is $97,500 per year (typically $79,500–$115,000), versus $150,000 for Trader ($105,000–$200,000). That puts Trader about 54% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Financial Analyst and Trader are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.