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What is a sales trader and how to become one
If you have a mind that deals in numbers and wants to make sales, a sales trader's primary duties are to buy and sell financial stocks, bonds, equities, or money market bonds on behalf of clients or employers.
A sales trade is responsible for developing investment strategies, analyzing market research and data, and assessing different types of financial instruments. You will need to trade, decide when to buy and sell stocks and bonds and money market assets. The goal of a sales trade is to buy low and sell high. It is an exciting, fast-paced, and rewarding position.
To become a sales trader, you need a bachelor's degree in finance, economics, mathematics, or engineering statistics. You can be considered for a sales trade job if you have the right characteristics and motivation. You should also have good communication skills, know how to communicate recommendations to employees, clients, or investors. Mathematical skills are a must to be a sales trader. With all these characteristics in mind, you can make a median salary of anywhere from $57,000 to $190,000 per year.
Avg. Salary $108,427
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate 10%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.21%
Asian 12.42%
Black or African American 5.53%
Hispanic or Latino 11.52%
Unknown 4.13%
White 66.19%
Genderfemale 17.57%
male 82.43%
Age - 43American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 43Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is good
6.4 - fair
Sales Trader career paths
Key steps to become a sales trader
Explore sales trader education requirements
Start to develop specific sales trader skills
Skills 
Percentages Equities 8.24% Derivative 6.73% Institutional Clients 6.09% Trade Execution 6.02% Client Relationships 5.09% Complete relevant sales trader training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New sales traders learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a sales trader based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real sales trader resumes.Research sales trader duties and responsibilities
- Price, trade and risk manage equity derivatives including OTC single stock options and list options.
- Manage business, sales, marketing, international negotiation and communication for a commodities business.
- Administer institutional equity accounts and expedite customer order flow for the NYSE, NASDAQ and OTC marketplace.
- Trade exchange list and OTC stocks, fixed-income securities and equity derivatives, prior to company sell to UBS.
Prepare your sales trader resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your sales trader resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a sales trader resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Sales Trader Resume templates
Build a professional Sales Trader resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Sales Trader resume.
Apply for sales trader jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a sales trader job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Sales Trader Job
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Average sales trader salary
The average Sales Trader salary in the United States is $108,427 per year or $52 per hour. Sales trader salaries range between $63,000 and $185,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
How do sales traders rate their job?
Sales Trader reviews
Talking to other people and never being still. Always on the move handeling money and everyday is something new
Been a grain & pulse trader for nearly 50 years and love it. No workdays are ever the same and you have to be a self starter. You get on the phone and give yourself a raise every day.
You get on the phone and give yourself a raise
Like the money and bonus opportunity
The politics Sux balls ... Working in corp America with general population is horrible. The maturity level is really low
Updated January 8, 2025
