Can you live off futures trading?
The takeaway
| Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | |
|---|---|---|
| Top Earners | $192,500 | $16,041 |
| 75th Percentile | $181,000 | $15,083 |
| Average | $101,533 | $8,461 |
| 25th Percentile | $57,500 | $4,791 |
Salary Ranges for Futures Trader
The salaries of Futures Traders in The US range from $105,809 to $958,311, and the average is $219,505.
Imagine a small trading account of $1,000. When we risk 2% - $20, how big profits can we expect? If we consider the 1: 1 fixed money management rule, we can expect earnings around $20 per trade. In order to reach the average monthly salary ($1,500), you need 75 profitable trades.
Minimum Account Size
A pattern day trader who executes four or more round turns in a single security within a week is required to maintain a minimum equity of $25,000 in their brokerage account. But a futures trader is not required to meet this minimum account size.
This will ultimately determine how much money you will need to have in your account for each contract you trade. The range varies from as little as $500 to $5,000 USD per contract for the mini products. But if you are brand new, you can start trading micro futures for as little as $50 to $400 per contract.
Tradeciety provides clearer and more time-specific futures trading stats–namely, that 40% of all futures day traders quit in 4 months, 80% quit within a year, and that only 7% are able to last 5 years or more.
The 80% Rule is a Market Profile concept and strategy. If the market opens (or moves outside of the value area ) and then moves back into the value area for two consecutive 30-min-bars, then the 80% rule states that there is a high probability of completely filling the value area.
While stock market investors rely on several rules to formulate their investment strategies, the 80-20 rule remains the most famous. Before we proceed, if you're wondering, 'what is the 80-20 rule? ' - it simply means that 80% of your portfolio's gains come from 20% of your investments.
Yes, you can technically start trading with $100 but it depends on what you are trying to trade and the strategy you are employing. Depending on that, brokerages may ask for a minimum deposit in your account that could be higher than $100. But for all intents and purposes, yes, you can start trading with $100.
Can you make $200 a day day trading?
A common approach for new day traders is to start with a goal of $200 per day and work up to $800-$1000 over time. Small winners are better than home runs because it forces you to stay on your plan and use discipline. Sure, you'll hit a big winner every now and then, but consistency is the real key to day trading.
Based on the 1% rule, the minimum account balance should, therefore, be at least $5,000 and preferably more. If risking a larger amount on each trade, or taking more than one contract, then the account size must be larger to accommodate. To trade two contracts with this strategy, the recommended balance is $10,000.
Many people have made millions just by day trading. Some examples are Ross Cameron, Brett N. Steenbarger, etc. But the important thing about day trading is that only a few can make money out of day trading and the rest end up losing their entire capital in day trading.
Futures can be traded almost 24 hours per day. There are short pauses but traders can trade them any time, day or night. The most popular traded hours are 9:00am to 4 pm est.
Some small futures brokers offer accounts with a minimum deposit of $500 or less, but some of the better-known brokers that offer futures will require minimum deposits of as much as $5,000 to $10,000.
There is no set number of trades that successful futures traders make each day. Some traders may make several trades a day, while others may only make one or two trades per day. The number of trades a trader makes depends on their trading strategy, market conditions, and individual preferences.
Yes, futures trading has the potential to make you rich. However, success depends on the trading strategy employed, and not all futures traders are profitable. It's crucial to have a well-defined strategy to maximize the chances of success.
But, those who follow strict trading rules can easily make an income of over $100,000 per year or more. Likewise, the national average salary for day traders who work for a company is $122,724 (source: Glassdoor). You can see below that this average varies based on where you work.
Neither market inherently offers more profitability than the other. However, here are some factors to consider: Trading Capital: Spot trading, especially with high leverage, might require less initial capital than futures trading. This makes it accessible to retail traders.
They each may offer returns on your investments, but for different reasons. Both have significant risks, but futures are generally considered riskier than stocks. Many investors tend to invest primarily in one or the other. They are either stock investors or futures hedgers or speculators.
Why are futures so hard to trade?
Most traders have their hands full keeping abreast of a few markets. Remember that futures trading is hard work and requires a substantial investment of time and energy. Studying charts, reading market commentary, staying on top of the news—it can be a lot for even the most seasoned trader.
Types of Trading FAQs
Which trading is most profitable? If you choose the correct stocks to buy, intraday trading may be highly profitable as it compels you to purchase and sell equities on the same day, just before the market shuts.
Enter the 1% rule, a risk management strategy that acts as a safety net, safeguarding your capital and fostering a disciplined approach to navigate the market's turbulent waters. In essence, the 1% rule dictates that you never risk more than 1% of your trading capital on a single trade.
The best trailing stop-loss percentage to use is either 15% or 20% If you use a pure momentum strategy a stop loss strategy can help you to completely avoid market crashes, and even earn you a small profit while the market loses 50%
One popular method is the 2% Rule, which means you never put more than 2% of your account equity at risk (Table 1). For example, if you are trading a $50,000 account, and you choose a risk management stop loss of 2%, you could risk up to $1,000 on any given trade.
