How to hire a commodity trader

How to hire a commodity trader, step by step

Here's a step-by-step commodity trader hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a commodity trader job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new commodity trader
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a commodity trader do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the commodity trader you need to hire. Certain commodity trader roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A commodity trader's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, commodity traders from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of commodity trader salaries for various roles:

   Type of Commodity Trader	Description	Hourly rate
   Commodity Trader	Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents connect buyers and sellers in financial markets. They sell securities to individuals, advise companies in search of investors, and conduct trades.	$26-75
   Foreign Exchange Trader	The foreign exchange market is volatile and influenced by numerous factors. A foreign exchange trader considers these factors and utilizes them in their favor... Show more	$31-95
   Hedge Fund Trader	A Hedge Fund Trader specializes in developing investment strategies through market research and analysis. Although the extent of their duties depends on their company of employment, it typically includes managing and monitoring market portfolios, trading according to policies and regulations, reaching out to potential business partners through calls and correspondence, discussing terms, and keeping an eye on stock prices... Show more	$32-96

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Commodities
   • Commodity Trading
   • Logistics
   • Market Trends
   • Derivative
   • Financial Markets
   • Macro
   • VBA
   • Commodity Markets
   • Technical Analysis
   • Market Analysis
   • Crude Oil
   • Risk Management Strategies
   • Trade Execution

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Trade, build, manage, and modele interest rate derivative positions via exchange floor
   • Manage and execute physical/financial grains book as well as base metal arbitrage portfolio.
   • Manage procurement and sales of bulk grains and agricultural commodities for redistribution into local dairy operations in Idaho.
   • Trade a variety of investment vehicles including commodity futures, FOREX and equities.
   • Develop automated and discretionary trading systems for currency, commodity futures, and equities markets.
   • Assist in audits from FINRA at corporate and branch levels.

   More commodity trader duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your commodity trader job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A commodity trader salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, commodity traders' average salary in alabama is 50% less than in new hampshire.
   • Seniority. Entry-level commodity traders earn 65% less than senior-level commodity traders.
   • Certifications. A commodity trader with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a commodity trader's salary.

   Average commodity trader salary

   $93,220yearly

   $44.82 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level commodity trader salary

   $55,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average commodity trader salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Connecticut	$121,034	$58
   2	New York	$120,367	$58
   3	New Jersey	$108,566	$52
   4	Texas	$91,743	$44
   5	Missouri	$89,994	$43
   6	Minnesota	$89,142	$43
   7	Ohio	$88,097	$42
   8	Illinois	$86,406	$42
   9	Colorado	$85,630	$41
   10	Maryland	$79,775	$38
   11	Arizona	$78,377	$38
   12	California	$76,491	$37
   13	Florida	$75,556	$36

   Average commodity trader salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The Citadel	$161,723	$77.75	13
   2	Koch Industries	$119,808	$57.60
   3	CIBC World Markets	$112,266	$53.97
   4	Tullett Prebon	$108,466	$52.15	2
   5	Marquette Partners	$108,364	$52.10
   6	Seven Points Capital	$108,087	$51.96	7
   7	Gunvor Group	$107,710	$51.78
   8	Glencore	$107,710	$51.78
   9	Frank	$107,448	$51.66
   10	Bunge	$106,392	$51.15
   11	Nucor	$103,685	$49.85
   12	Greenwich Automotive Svc	$101,981	$49.03
   13	Just Energy	$101,916	$49.00
   14	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$97,401	$46.83	213
   15	Resource Management	$89,504	$43.03
   16	Freeport-McMoRan	$88,504	$42.55
   17	Olympic Steel	$88,183	$42.40
   18	STX	$72,308	$34.76
   19	Perdue Farms	$72,253	$34.74	1
   20	JBS USA	$66,217	$31.84

4. Writing a commodity trader job description

   A commodity trader job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a commodity trader job description:

   Commodity trader job description example

   Perdue AgriBusiness is part of Perdue Farms, a family-owned company heading into it's second century of growth and innovation. An international agricultural products and services company, we handle agricultural commodities and have a diverse portfolio of products and businesses.
   
   To negotiate the purchase of commodity products. To provide customer service to ensure price competitive and timely delivery of commodity products.
   Principal and Essential Duties & Responsibilities
   
   Build on negotiating skills to maximize ROIC, and to build trading positions for maximum profit while minimizing risk. Build, develop, and manage a network of customers and suppliers for long term business growth and development. Seek cash price anomalies and execute regional arbitrage opportunities to maximize margins. Manage and monitor inventories at the production facilities to ensure adequate supply. Comprehend NGFA and NOPA trade rules and specific cash commodity technical trade specifications to create trading liquidity. Perform other task and projects as assigned by supervisor
   
   Minimum Education
   
   BS Degree (Agriculture, Business Management, Accounting or related field)
   
   Experience Requirements
   
   0-3 years of experience Understanding of commodity markets Understanding of standard software applications Strong math, communications, analytical and interpersonal skills
   
   Experience Preferred
   
   Environmental Factors and Physical Requirements
   
   Able to move freely throughout production facilities and customer locations.Exposed to external weather conditions to include rain, snow, and extreme temperatures (-15 - 100 Degrees Fahrenheit), humidity, (0 - 100%), noise (50db to 100db) and chemicals (MSDS sheets available).Able to lift 50 pounds.Able to travel internationally.Overnight travel is estimated to be between 50% and 75%.Able to operate a motor vehicle and travel to and from Venture Milling and customer locations.Able to use standard office equipment to include telephone, computers, copiers etc.
   
   Perdue Farms, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. #PAB

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find commodity traders for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your commodity trader job on Zippia to find and attract quality commodity trader candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit commodity traders, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new commodity trader

   Once you've found the commodity trader candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new commodity trader. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a commodity trader?