Also called: Retail Trader
Trades stocks, options or futures with their own money, trying to profit from short-term price moves.
You wake early, scan news and charts, make a dozen trades in the first two hours and track every win and loss in a journal.
Most retail day traders lose money over time; studies suggest only a small fraction earn a steady living. Not a reliable paycheck.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
No formal education, about 0 years after high school. No degree required; self-taught.
Ways in: Self-taught. Training cost: Under $15k.
Growing about average. Not tracked by BLS.
High risk for 10 years. Retail traders compete with AI-driven firms; most lose money, and AI tools help the pros more than individuals.
Classes: AP Statistics, Personal finance class.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.