Sales in S&T vs Broker

This might be a stupid question but what is the difference between being a salesman on the trading floor vs being a stockbroker that you see in the movies? I interned in public finance IB this past summer and talked to some of the bond sales people at the bank and their job sounded pretty similar to a stock broker, except dealing with municipal bonds and also dealing with institutions, although some dealt with retail investors. 

2 Comments
 

Ah, a classic question! The roles of a salesman on a trading floor and a stockbroker might seem similar, but they do have some key differences.

As a salesman on the trading floor, you're typically dealing with institutional clients. You're the one pitching ideas to these clients, and you're working closely with traders who execute the deals. You're dealing with complex financial products, and your clients are usually sophisticated investors.

On the other hand, a stockbroker, like the ones you see in the movies, usually deals with individual or retail investors. They're the ones buying and selling stocks and other securities on behalf of their clients. They're more focused on building relationships with individual investors and guiding them through the investment process.

So, while both roles involve selling and dealing with clients, the type of clients and the complexity of the products involved can be quite different.

Remember, whether you're a salesman on the trading floor or a stockbroker, it's all about understanding your clients' needs and helping them achieve their financial goals. And of course, keeping yourself liquid while doing so!

Sources: Sales vs Trading, Difference between Sales and Trading?

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

Voluptate est facere qui quas similique dicta officiis. Id eos accusamus voluptatem voluptas. Ea quisquam et et. Magni mollitia accusamus fugiat aliquam ut illum. Totam incidunt ut incidunt dolor pariatur magnam. Beatae deserunt doloremque hic incidunt fugit sit non. Quibusdam quae in exercitationem voluptatem natus error.

Et ea nostrum maxime enim in. Quod mollitia labore architecto. Vel quod neque occaecati id.

Assumenda eaque ut aut est. Exercitationem esse nihil et voluptatem. Autem ex aut omnis beatae et velit. Dolores ex impedit ut voluptate.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”