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The differences between options traders and foreign exchange traders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a foreign exchange trader has an average salary of $115,133, which is higher than the $110,139 average annual salary of an options trader.
The top three skills for an options trader include FX, stock options and equities. The most important skills for a foreign exchange trader are manage risk, equities, and foreign exchange products.
| Options Trader | Foreign Exchange Trader | |
| Yearly salary | $110,139 | $115,133 |
| Hourly rate | $52.95 | $55.35 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 1,433 | 17,829 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Options traders are financial experts who work for large investment banks or private hedge fund companies to buy and sell stock options as well as manage complex capital investments for clients. These traders are required to create options contracts and develop forecasting models so that they can determine the optimal price to buy an option to maximize profit and minimize risk. They must assist head traders with client services to allow more trading revenue production. Options traders must also employ risk management strategies to minimize portfolio risk and increase their volume in trading.
The foreign exchange market is volatile and influenced by numerous factors. A foreign exchange trader considers these factors and utilizes them in their favor. They typically take care to predict misvaluations of currencies accurately. They act on the conclusions reached from their analysis and either buy or sell assets in different markets. This position requires diligence and patience.
Options traders and foreign exchange traders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Options Trader | Foreign Exchange Trader | |
| Average salary | $110,139 | $115,133 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $185,000 | Between $66,000 And $199,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Paul Hastings |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an options trader and a foreign exchange trader in terms of educational background:
| Options Trader | Foreign Exchange Trader | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Finance | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between options traders' and foreign exchange traders' demographics:
| Options Trader | Foreign Exchange Trader | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% | Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 12.2% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 12.3% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |