What are typical starting offers for software engineering at small Prop Trading companies?

I have received a base offer that is well below UIUC's average starting salary for my degree to write code at a small trading firm in Chicago, but the bonus potential, and 5 year career potential could be very competitive.

How much would you expect in compensation, base, benefits, bonus

Do you feel that small trading shops are better to start a career at, or larger?

I have the ability to work at most any traditional tech firm(Google, Microsoft, Intel) I choose due to good grades and networking. Hence, my surprise that the base was below average...benefits lacking.

10 Comments
 

notthehospitalER Do you have any reason why a larger firm like Citadel would be a better place to work? Don't software engineers there work crazy hours....harder to stand out at a large firm. waterfalls

 

More job security, much higher base pay, prestige/brand recognition if you ever want to go back to school/move elsewhere etc. Harder to stand out, but you could go further if you do well there. Can't speak to the hours software engineers work there (I'm going into IB, and was just basing my opinion on what I've heard- know a couple of people who have interned at Google and loved it) but I'm sure you'd work at lot, yes. A guy I know went from Google to GS S&T, if that's the kind of thing that interests you it's obviously doable.

 

I'm more bent on learning the whole business. Creating algorithms that find potential trading systems, picking the good ones, and being able to implement them, watching them run, and patching up their weaknesses. I believe that large companies will shoe horn me into a very specialized role, anyone able to confirm. I've got a dream, I know I'm not there yet, but I don't want to get tied down doing something that won't help me progress. Can anyone shed any light on the mobility of software developers at large trading firms. I love to wear many hats.

 

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