How To Become A Trade Analyst: What It Is and Career Path

What is a trade analyst and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Samar Issa Ph.D.

Trade analysts work in the fast-paced world of stock trading. They act as middlemen between buyers and sellers and provide information, execute sales and purchases, and conduct appropriate research. Their jobs are tied to the markets, and they only work when the markets are open.

A day in the life of a trade analyst is quick and variable. It may involve communicating with clients, performing appropriate research, creating reports, or writing company reviews. While performing research, trade analysts usually focus on specific regions to get a quick overview of the financial situation in the area.

Making sales is also a significant part of their role. They communicate with clients, businesses, and potential investors through phone calls, emails, and other forms of telecommunication. Trade analysts have to constantly be on their toes to keep up with their job demands.

To become a trade analyst, you need a bachelor's degree in economics, finance, or a similar field. You'll also need the ability to multitask and stay calm under pressure.

What general advice would you give to a trade analyst?

Samar Issa Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Economics and Finance, Saint Peter's University

-Be positive, pro-active, and productive
-Discover what you are good at and what you like and dislike
-Adapt and accept change. Look at all jobs as one might open doors to other opportunities
-Acknowledge and admit your mistakes and never be afraid to ask questions
-Mistakes are when you learn the most. Learn from when things go wrong.
-Accept feedback, especially constructive criticism
-Every minute is an opportunity to learn. Everyone will provide an insight and learning experience no matter what he/she does. Do not look down at people with no title. Learn from them
-Make connections and build relationships
-Don't be ashamed to start from the beginning. You have to start somewhere. Always look for the future and learn and try to move the ladder. Never be discouraged
-Ask your co-workers and managers. Don't be shy or intimated. They were beginners one day. They know where you come from, and most people like to help you grow
-Treat everyone the same. Be friendly even with the ones that are not with you. It will always pay up in the end
-Have empathy and sympathy. Work is vital but be human. This is most important
-Be careful when you criticize someone and never gossip. You never know when your words will turn against you, or you are misinterpreted
-Give the benefits of the doubts if someone mistreats you or in an angry way one day. They might have issues at home or work, and this has nothing to do with you. Never take things personally
-Never judge
-Be ready for more responsibilities but never take more than you can handle. This could be a double sword edge. Speak up when you need help
-Go for graduate school. You will need the additional knowledge and companies continue to express high levels of hiring demand for business school graduates

ScoreTrade AnalystUS Average

Salary

6.1

Avg. Salary $78,714

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.8

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.10%

Asian 14.09%

Black or African American 5.64%

Hispanic or Latino 7.67%

Unknown 4.50%

White 68.00%

Gender

female 38.33%

male 61.67%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

5.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.3

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a trade analyst

Explore trade analyst education requirements

Most common trade analyst degrees

Bachelor's

75.1 %

Master's

14.8 %

Associate

5.7 %

Start to develop specific trade analyst skills

Skills	Percentages
Portfolio	7.01%
Securities	5.50%
Process Improvement	4.85%
Risk Management	4.78%
Derivative	4.38%

Complete relevant trade analyst training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New trade analysts 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 trade analyst based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real trade analyst resumes.

Research trade analyst duties and responsibilities

Design spreadsheets, pivot tables and macros to automate the workflow.
Manage day to day operations including swap pricing, P/L responsibilities, trade booking and reconciliation.
Provide market recommendations & manage dealer inventories base on industry data, dealer sales history, & ROI.
Lead in the global tactical asset allocation analysis for the $100,000 fund, focusing on multi-asset classes.

Get trade analyst experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a trade analyst. The most common roles before becoming a trade analyst include internship, analyst team lead and finance analyst.

Prepare your trade analyst resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your trade analyst 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 trade analyst resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable trade analyst resume templates

Build a professional trade analyst 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 trade analyst resume.