
The life of a quant trader: how to earn and donate millions within a few years - BreakoutList
https://80000hours.org/2017/08/the-life-of-a-quant-trader-how-to-earn-and-donate-millions-within-a-few-years/
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BreakoutList
> Key points

> Quant trading pays very well, plateauing at between $300,000 and $10m a year
> after five to ten years, depending on performance. This of course allows for
> very large annual donations.

> The job is highly intellectually challenging, and most staff are very
> satisfied with their work. Turnover in the firms is very low. The culture is
> quite geeky – nothing like the aggressive and showy stereotype of some parts
> of finance. The work is highly collaborative and good teamwork skills are
> vital.

> There are arguments both that quant trading is socially useful, and that it
> is socially harmful. Having investigated these, Alex thinks that it is
> highly likely to be beneficial for the world. Rob is less confident, but
> still leans towards thinking it is net positive. Both explain their
> perspectives and consider some potential downsides.

> The most common majors to study to get into the industry are maths, computer
> science and physics, but people with the necessary abilities can apply from
> many other fields too. The key trait they look for is “evidence of general
> problem solving, or puzzle solving, or analytical thinking”. Coding isn’t
> necessary as it is taught to you.

> While very competitive, the application process is quite straightforward, so
> it’s worth a shot for many people.

