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The differences between investment representatives and sales traders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an investment representative and a sales trader. Additionally, a sales trader has an average salary of $108,427, which is higher than the $65,361 average annual salary of an investment representative.
The top three skills for an investment representative include money management, mutual funds and financial services. The most important skills for a sales trader are equities, derivative, and institutional clients.
| Investment Representative | Sales Trader | |
| Yearly salary | $65,361 | $108,427 |
| Hourly rate | $31.42 | $52.13 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 35,914 | 19,736 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 85% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Investment representatives, also known as financial advisers, usually work in a bank, investment company, credit institution, or other financial firm. They handle the marketing and promotion of financial services and give clients investment advice. They do this is the phone or through face-to-face transactions. This position requires someone to be customer-oriented, communicate effectively, and know how to handle a crisis.
A sales trader is responsible for evaluating and monitoring the stock market performance to advise the clients on which financial instruments are best to buy or sell. Sales traders review the clients' account portfolios and determine their risk appetite to choose the best investment options for their financial goals and objectives. They also research stock prediction and conduct statistical analysis to maintain consistent cash flow for the accounts. A sales trader must have excellent communication and analytical skills, especially in generating financial and investment reports for clients' discussion and reference.
Investment representatives and sales traders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Investment Representative | Sales Trader | |
| Average salary | $65,361 | $108,427 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $112,000 | Between $63,000 And $185,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | American Century Investments | Merrill Lynch |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an investment representative and a sales trader in terms of educational background:
| Investment Representative | Sales Trader | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 85% |
| Most common major | Business | Finance |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between investment representatives' and sales traders' demographics:
| Investment Representative | Sales Trader | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.1% Female, 27.9% | Male, 82.4% Female, 17.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 9.9% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 12.4% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |