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Job outlook for trade analysts in the United States
Are trade analyst jobs in demand?
Trade analyst job and salary trends over time
Trade analyst jobs over time
Trade analyst job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,206 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 1,396 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 3,532 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 2,314 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 2,223 | 0.00% |
Average trade analyst salary over time
Trade analyst salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $78,714 | $37.84 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $76,699 | $36.87 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $75,441 | $36.27 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $74,243 | $35.69 | +3.1% |
| 2021 | $72,006 | $34.62 | +1.8% |
Trade analyst jobs by state
Most common states for trade analysts
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 471 | 68% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,424 | 17% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 164 | 17% |
| 4 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 941 | 16% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,039 | 15% |
| 6 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 686 | 12% |
| 7 | New York | 19,849,399 | 2,156 | 11% |
| 8 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,420 | 11% |
| 9 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 599 | 11% |
| 10 | Vermont | 623,657 | 66 | 11% |
| 11 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 753 | 10% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 104 | 10% |
| 13 | Alaska | 739,795 | 72 | 10% |
| 14 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 798 | 9% |
| 15 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 370 | 9% |
| 16 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 325 | 9% |
| 17 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 265 | 9% |
| 18 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 71 | 9% |
| 19 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 53 | 9% |
| 20 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 113 | 8% |
Most common cities for trade analysts
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frankfort | 2 | 7% | $65,286 |
| 2 | Silver Spring | 2 | 3% | $79,550 |
| 3 | Hartford | 2 | 2% | $109,876 |
| 4 | Lansing | 2 | 2% | $67,614 |
| 5 | Springfield | 2 | 2% | $74,047 |
| 6 | Stamford | 2 | 2% | $108,774 |
| 7 | Alpharetta | 1 | 2% | $65,315 |
| 8 | Boston | 5 | 1% | $109,751 |
| 9 | Atlanta | 4 | 1% | $65,165 |
| 10 | Washington | 4 | 1% | $89,511 |
| 11 | Des Moines | 2 | 1% | $63,744 |
| 12 | Tallahassee | 2 | 1% | $64,746 |
| 13 | Tampa | 2 | 1% | $63,835 |
| 14 | Chicago | 5 | 0% | $75,523 |
| 15 | San Francisco | 4 | 0% | $88,793 |
| 16 | Indianapolis | 2 | 0% | $63,302 |
| 17 | Los Angeles | 2 | 0% | $77,511 |
| 18 | Miami | 2 | 0% | $62,092 |
Trade Analyst job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of trade analyst experts
UMass Lowell
Merrimack College
University of Cincinnati Clermont College
University of Washington
University of Southern Maine
Western Kentucky University
John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Manhattan College
Coastal Carolina University
Drexel University
University of Wyoming
Fairfield University
Wake Forest University
University of Akron
University of Oregon
Stonehill College
American University
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Program Coordinator, Masters of Science in EntrepreneurshipUMass Lowell
Department of Marketing, Entrepreneurship & Innovation
What Trade Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.: Obviously we are seeing a tremendous increase in AI and other digital technologies. These will become a more crucial skill set for many careers going forward. But I wouldn't downplay the role of what are traditionally seen as soft skills like empathy, communications, and judgment. Not only can these distinguish you from robots but from your human competitors as well.
What will help Trade Analysts increase their earning potential?
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.: If all you want is the highest potential starting salary, then you should aim for careers that offer them. But that is a shortsighted way to view things. For example, many careers that have tournament-like pay structures (think entertainment) often have very low starting salaries but the so-called winners enjoy outsized financial gains. If you are thinking about a more traditional career, I think it's important to make sure you are more valuable to your employer than they are to you. This means you have to market yourself, both to your current employer as well as to potential ones. Of course, this approach may not be for everyone and maximizing your salary potential is only one thing you should be considering when assessing job and career opportunities.
What will help Trade Analysts increase their earning potential?
Melissa Zimdars: Recognize that your first career opportunity won't be your last. If the job you land after college does not have opportunities for growth or advancement, it's imperative that you keep an eye out for them elsewhere as you continue to gain experience in your field.
Fawen Zhang PhD
Professor of AudiologyUniversity of Cincinnati Clermont College
Communication Disorders Sciences And Services
What will help Trade Analysts increase their earning potential?
Fawen Zhang PhD: This is perfect! Thank you so much. We will be sure to feature your response in the article and send a draft over for your review before we promote it.
What general advice would you give to a Trade Analyst?
Victor Menaldo: Learn, learn and learn some more. Adopt a growth mindset where you never stop learning. Gain economic literacy and financial literacy and historical literacy and statistical literacy. This will allow you to complement AI: ask it good questions, contextualize and evaluate its answers, and ask good follow up questions.
What Trade Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Victor Menaldo: Interacting with AI and knowing how to best exploit it to get the most out of it: increase productivity and value added in whatever field one is in.
What will help Trade Analysts increase their earning potential?
Victor Menaldo: Develop oral communication skills that allow you to speak in an articulate manner and organize your thoughts to signal your competence, knowledge, work ethic, and willingness to keep learning and improving.
Tove Rasmussen
LecturerUniversity of Southern Maine
Specialized Sales, Merchandising And Marketing Operations
What general advice would you give to a Trade Analyst?
Tove Rasmussen: Tove Rasmussen advises graduates beginning their career in the field to...
What Trade Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Timothy Rich PhD: Think about the types of jobs that interest you and the skills necessary for those jobs early. So many students start thinking about post-graduation life spring their senior year, when it should be an incremental process much earlier. Another pieces of advice would be to talk to faculty and alum about your interests, find internship or research opportunities when possible, and try to figure out early your strengths and weaknesses. It's easy for students, especially high performing ones, to not fully consider what their weaknesses are. I encourage students to jot down what they see as their skills too and to share them with others. It helps them to identify what's a common skill versus something that might make them stick out.
Professor Shonna Trinch Ph.D.
ProfessorJohn Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, And Group Studies
What Trade Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Professor Shonna Trinch Ph.D.: Analysis and critical thinking, writing and making strong arguments are indispensable job market skills. Concepts such as 'ethnicity,' 'gender' and 'minority' are constructed in social and historical spaces and times, and students with college degrees can help de-naturalize these categories to make others understand how policy, programming and marketing might not be achieving their stated goals.
What general advice would you give to a Trade Analyst?
Dr. Paige Novak P.E. (Minnesota), BCEE: Ask questions, stay curious and open minded, take opportunities to learn and develop new skills.
What general advice would you give to a Trade Analyst?
Dr. Natalia Boliari PhD: First, learn everything about the company you just started working for - its historical path, management, the way it's dealt with crises, etc. Second, learn everything about the specific industry the company belongs to and see how the company has developed relative to the development of the industry domestically and internationally. Third, always be extremely alert to notice new opportunities and be prepared to take calculated risks. That is, actively look for opportunities to complete as many and diverse tasks as possible, and volunteer to complete any type of work regardless of whether it seems relevant to your assigned job or not. Opportunities to learn, grow, and improve and thus to maximize your income, will only come up if you are exposed to diverse situations.
What Trade Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Natalia Boliari PhD: Be open minded. Finance is the broad definition of an industry which provides opportunities for careers in financial consultancy, financial analysis, stock brokerage, foreign investment, modeling, exchange rate forecasts, and many more. While most of those careers are attributed to the banking industry, you can find those and others in other sectors of the economy, such as insurance, technology, health care/medical, government, and so on. So, be open and look beyond the banking sector, examine the current and predicted trends in the economy to hunt for exciting career options.
Mark Chandler
Director of Government Relations and Professor of PracticeCoastal Carolina University
Intelligence, Command Control And Information Operations
What Trade Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mark Chandler: First, focus on being good at your job. Focus on learning your specific assigned area. Get the basics down – analytic skills, communication skills. Build a strong work ethic and professional foundation. If you can find a good mentor, link up with them. Be willing to go the “extra mile” in being a team player and doing things to help others on the team, and put in the hours. In intelligence, you will not always like what policy makers do or say. It’s not our job to agree or disagree with the policy, our job is to study the situation, present the facts and then present a fact-based analytic assessment. Keep opinion, bias, and politics out of our work. This will be a challenge, but it’s one you have to recognize in order to not succumb to it.
What Trade Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mark Stehr PhD: At the start of your career, it's very important to land a role where you learn a lot and find good mentors. The additional skills will pay dividends as your career progresses.
What Trade Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Lars Kotthoff: Anything and everything related to AI, but in particular being able to cut through the hype and being able to assess new technologies realistically.
What general advice would you give to a Trade Analyst?
John McDermott Ph.D.: To maximize your salary potential, keep learning, investing in your human capital, and expanding your capabilities. Learn as much as you can about your new position and industry, work with a variety of people at your firm, and seek opportunities outside your comfort zone. Your salary potential will increase as you are recognized as a capable and hard working colleague.
What general advice would you give to a Trade Analyst?
Dr. Mark Evans: Add value beyond what you are asked to do. Take ownership of your work. Volunteer for the most difficult jobs and clients.
What Trade Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Mark Evans: Don't stop learning. Treat your first job like more graduate school. Learn everything you can.
What will help Trade Analysts increase their earning potential?
Eric Brisker Ph.D.: Focusing on developing skills in communication, networking, social skills, analytical skills, financial knowledge, and obtaining professional certifications can help maximize salary potential in the finance industry. Developing these skills and following the advice provided can lead to opportunities for higher salaries.
Z. Jay Wang
Department Head, Associate Professor of FinanceUniversity of Oregon
Finance And Financial Management Services
What will help Trade Analysts increase their earning potential?
Z. Jay Wang: Students who have a history of doing work in the field outside the classroom either through internships, industry projects, or school-sponsored clubs managing financial decisions are better poised to maximize starting salary potential. Starting early to secure internships with top companies will also position students well for higher earning potential. Most top banks and firms will post internships from April/May to August, and close by the end of September for the following summer. They are also rolling, so may fill the roles by as early as June of the sophomore year for the following summer after junior year. Finally, networking with industry and alumni professionals in the companies, firms, banks prior to applying for an internship or full-time position will have an impact. The candidate will learn more about the opportunity and company culture for their resume and potential interview, and most top companies in finance will have a referral program. If the candidate impresses the internal connection with excellent questions and strategic answers, they may get a referral that moves them up in the stacks of applicants.
What general advice would you give to a Trade Analyst?
Dr. Wayne Durr: Maximizing your salary potential starts with understanding your value. What skills and
capabilities can you articulate to a prospective employer? The ability to articulate these skills
and what you bring to that company can be challenging. Think of your resume like an artist
thinks of their portfolio. What projects or analysis have you worked on? You cannot articulate
the value you will bring to that prospective company without the ability to articulate your skills
and capabilities. Do your research to determine what other employers pay people with the
same abilities. Ask employers what the salary range is and use that as your baseline. As you
get close to graduating, your classmates talk about the job offers they receive and most likely
share the salaries they are being offered. Listen and use this as a baseline. All this gives you
an idea of your value. Your first job isn't always the place where you'll be able to maximize your
earning potential. Think of your first job as where you will get the work experience to maximize
your future earning potential. Look at this as the place where you will sharpen your skills and
develop new ones. This first job will be where you fill out your resume and either have an
opportunity to maximize your earning potential there or elsewhere in the future.
Additionally, think about passive income and the "side gig". If you don't feel like you're
maximizing your earning potential at that first job, think about how you can make money on the
side. I believe we now live in a society where truly maximizing your earning potential comes
from more than your current employer. The ability to earn money from a side gig is more
prevalent than ever before. I think every student should take an entrepreneur class. Think
about your skills, which one could make you some side money. Don't dismiss jobs you did
growing up, like delivery service, landscaping, etc. There are so many apps and websites that
people and companies are looking for anything from an hour to a couple of days worth of work.
Take that first six months on the job to get settled in, and then start thinking about that side gig.
Octavian Ionici PhD
Sr. Lecturer in FinanceAmerican University
Finance And Financial Management Services
What Trade Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Octavian Ionici PhD: The finance profession is lucrative, rewarding and very competitive. Graduates should do their research about the organization they are interviewing with and be able to discuss how their skills can contribute to the business. They should also know if they would rather interact with people and clients or if they are drawn to intellectual pursuits such as analysis. Do they value power, prestige status, risk, or something else? Ultimately our core values, personal goals, interests, aptitudes, and personality will shape our career paths.
Being able to articulate what sparked their interest in the financial field and why they are interested in a chosen role will be an advantage during the hiring process. While still in college, students should join a professional association like the Financial Management Association to give them more access to that broad network, as well as access to career development resources that can set them apart from the crowd.
It's also critical to get an internship (paid or unpaid) in order to show some real-life experience. They can do this while they are still in college, during the summers, or even afterwards, to get a foot in the door.
Reading the WSJ and FT daily, and listening to Bloomberg, or other financial programs as a regular practice will help them to have fluency in the language of our profession. Because the finance sector is heavily regulated and changes occur due to changing economic and political conditions, they will need to stay updated with those changes. Financial media sources will help bring them that context to stay up to date on all of these moving parts.
What will help Trade Analysts increase their earning potential?
Octavian Ionici PhD: Try to understand what your boss or your company needs, then see if you can fill that gap with your skill set and work ethic. Finance constantly evolves. A career with lifelong learning will help keep you employable. Investing in continuous learning and skill development can increase your income potential down the road.
Plus, don't underestimate the power of a positive attitude and strong work ethic. You may not be an expert at the beginning, but you can take on every challenge given to you, work hard and try to turn it into a success for your organization. Each win will build your reputation and your portfolio of skills which you will then bring with you to your next job. As you do this, you will inevitably acquire specialized skills.
What Trade Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Noah Alatza: Prior to graduation, gain as much relevant experience as possible through internships. Having multiple internships where you've proven yourself to be successful and hardworking is essential to getting the best offers for full-time roles. In the early years of your career, take note of the qualifications of your next promotion and proactively take steps to ensure that you achieve those qualifications. Finally, make sure to do your research on salary levels for similar positions and don't be afraid to ask for an increase when your work performance and data support that request.
What will help Trade Analysts increase their earning potential?
Dr. Kimberly Gaither: Maximize your salary potential by asking questions and learning as quickly as possible. Be a good communicator with those above and below you as well as your peers. Be dependable. Persons who show up early and work hard will be valued and rewarded.