Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between options traders and forex traders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a forex trader has an average salary of $115,092, 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 forex trader are technical analysis, foreign exchange market, and technical indicators.
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.
Focusing on the foreign exchange market, a forex trader specializes in selling and buying foreign currencies. It is their responsibility to conduct extensive research and analysis before making decisions, identify profitable opportunities, monitor market conditions, and carry out transactions while maintaining records. They may work at hedge funds, banks, and even trade independently. There are also times when they must carry out trades upon a client's request, helping them understand the risks and extent of procedures.
Options traders and forex traders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Options Trader | Forex Trader | |
| Average salary | $110,139 | $115,092 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $185,000 | Between $67,000 And $197,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | - |
| Highest paying state | New York | - |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | - |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between an options trader and a forex trader in terms of educational background:
| Options Trader | Forex Trader | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Finance | Finance |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | - |
Here are the differences between options traders' and forex traders' demographics:
| Options Trader | Forex Trader | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% | Male, 91.5% Female, 8.5% |
| 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, 5.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 12.1% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |