Jobs in Trading & Commodities

There are several different types of jobs to choose from in trading and commodities. These types of jobs rely heavily on statistics and typically require a bachelor's degree in an area related to finance and economics. Starting salaries can be low, but earning a six-figure salary is entirely possible.

Commodity Trader

Commodity traders are responsible for buying and selling securities, such as stocks, bonds, derivatives and mutual funds, according to the Education Portal website. Some commodity traders only process orders from customers over the phone, while other commodity traders provide clients, including companies and individuals, with financial advice. This helps the clients make the most intelligent investments with the goal of obtaining the largest return on investment possible. Most investment firms only hire commodity traders with a minimum of a bachelor's degree. Some of the majors that commodity traders commonly have include finance, economics and social sciences. The median annual salary for commodity traders in 2008 was approximately $85,580, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS.

Investment Banker

Investment bankers help execute larger financial transactions between companies. Investment bankers earn between $45,000 and $85,000 a year, according to the State University website. The majority of investment bankers have at least a master's of business administration, or MBA, degree from a business school. Another responsibility of investment bankers is to look at the financial statement of a company that's having financial problems. The investment banker will then make suggestions to the company on how to get the company back on track financially. Investment bankers will also commonly underwrite stocks when a company goes public.

Financial Analyst

Financial analysts help businesses decide how they should invest their money based on statistics, according to the BLS. Approximately 250,600 people worked as financial analysts in the United States as of May 2008. The average annual salary for financial analysts in the United States was approximately $73,000, according to the BLS. Financial analysts usually have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in a field related to economics.

Personal Financial Advisors

Unlike financial analysts, personal financial advisors focus on helping individuals instead of businesses how to invest their money, according to the BLS. Most personal financial advisors work at banks, but many of them are self-employed. Personal financial advisors in the United States earned approximately $68,000 a year, according to the BLS.

References

• Education Portal: Commodity Trader Job Description
• Untied States Bureau of Labor Statistics: Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
• State University: Investment Banker Job Description
• United States Bureau of Labor Statistics: Financial Analyst
• United States Bureau of Labor Statistics: Financial
• United States Bureau of Labor Statistics: Personal Financial Advisors

Resources

• Career Planner: Personal Financial Advisor Job Description
• My Pursuit: Financial Planner Careers
• Career Planner: Financial Analyst Jobs and Job Description
• AOL: Financial Analyst Job Description