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Derivatives Trader salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a derivatives trader is $137,900 per annum, before tax, up $29,200 since 2018.
- Pay on a dealing desk leans on the bonus, which is tied to the profit of the book over the year and can be a large share of total earnings.
- The capital you are trusted to run, the product you trade and whether you work at a bank, a fund or a proprietary firm all move the number.
- A lean year on the desk shows up quickly in the next bonus, and part of a large bonus is usually deferred rather than paid straight away.
The median salary rose by $29,200 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than derivatives trader
The largest typical pay rise is $10,300 a year, moving into Quantitative Trader.
- Quantitative Trader+$10,300/yr
How to negotiate a higher derivatives trader salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time derivatives trader salary is $137,900; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Financial analysis and modelling and Risk and internal controls tend to command a premium over general derivatives trader experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Quantitative Trader pays a typical $10,300 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Derivatives Trader salary questions
How much do derivatives traders earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a derivatives trader is $137,900 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is derivatives trader pay rising or falling?
The median derivatives trader salary is up $29,200 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than derivatives trader?
Quantitative Trader pays a typical $10,300 a year more and draws on similar skills to derivatives trader.
Related salaries
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- Futures Dealer salary
- Foreign Exchange Dealer salary
- Risk Analyst salary
- Quantitative Trader salary
- Quantitative Analyst salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.