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The differences between traders and investment bankers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an investment banker has an average salary of $162,715, which is higher than the $90,179 average annual salary of a trader.
The top three skills for a trader include portfolio, financial markets and derivative. The most important skills for an investment banker are financial services, discounted cash flow, and capital markets.
| Trader | Investment Banker | |
| Yearly salary | $90,179 | $162,715 |
| Hourly rate | $43.36 | $78.23 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 17,351 | 28,460 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A trader is responsible for buying and selling financial instruments for a firm or an individual, monitoring stock movements, and analyzing price fluctuations. Traders focus on short-term and long-term trades, depending on their customers' demands and best interests. In some cases, traders also act as financial advisors to their clients, providing financial management support, and handling their account investments. A trader must have excellent knowledge of the financial industry and must be highly-analytical, dealing with consistent changes in the stock market and maintain smart decisions to achieve their clients' financial goals.
An investment banker is responsible for selling and issuing securities and financial assets to the stock markets to generate money and raise capital for organizations and financial institutions. Investment bankers also work with private clients to advise them of investment options and financial transactions according to the market's condition and clients' interests. They handle the clients' investment portfolios and create propositions for acquisitions and company mergers. An investment banker must have excellent knowledge of the financial and stock industry, as well as having excellent analytical skills to review statistical data and determine the best financial strategies.
Traders and investment bankers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Trader | Investment Banker | |
| Average salary | $90,179 | $162,715 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $144,000 | Between $95,000 And $276,000 |
| Highest paying City | White Plains, NY | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Alaska |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Citi |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Real Estate |
There are a few differences between a trader and an investment banker in terms of educational background:
| Trader | Investment Banker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Finance | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between traders' and investment bankers' demographics:
| Trader | Investment Banker | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9% | Male, 76.2% Female, 23.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |