Differences between Retail and Prop Trading

I've been in the markets for a little over 2 years, and would consider myself profitable. I've studied good traders and been a part of a legit mentorship group. I started actively trading stocks in my IRA from my last job in July/August of this year, and currently up about 40% YTD. I'm still making mistakes, and don't think that will ever end, and need to work more on journaling. At this point, I feel like I have a pretty good idea what I need to do and characteristics to have to be good. My question is what would it be like to join a prop trading firm? I'm currently a scientist, and I don't love it. Most of my time is dedicated to learning about the market. It's the first thing I do and the last thing I do every day. While I don't feel super comfortable trading independently yet, I wonder why not make trading my job, and surround myself with pro graders to learn from them? That said, I understand the burnout rate is high, and it's a stressful job. But trading is hard, and I'm still here. So I want to know what it's like at the next level. Any insights would be appreciated. 

btw. I realize there's a wide variety of prop shops, but I'm mostly looking at ones with a decent base salary. I don't care so much about getting rich from prop trading so much as the learning experience. 

0 Comments

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”