📈 How to Become a Quantitative Developer in 2025: Insights from a Quant Dev

I work as a quant dev at a leading hedge fund in London. I wrote this guide for anyone thinking about becoming a quantitative developer in 2025. I used current job market details to support my arguments.

Are you captivated by the fusion of finance, technology, and mathematics? If so, becoming a quantitative developer could be your gateway to one of the most rewarding and lucrative careers in the tech-finance world.

Sections

1. 💼 Why Become a Quantitative Developer?
2. 🧪 Quant Dev vs. Quant Researcher
3. 📈 Quant Dev vs. Quant Trader
4. ⚙️ What Does a Quant Developer Do?
   • 🏦 Front vs. Middle vs. Back Office
   • 🧑‍💻 Systematic vs. Discretionary
   • 🔧 Sector Quant Dev vs. Quant Platform Developers
   • 💼 Buy-side vs. Sell-side
5. 🛠 Top Coding Languages for Quant Devs

💼 Why Become a Quantitative Developer?

💸 Top-Tier Compensation

Quant devs are among the highest-paid software engineers. At the time of writing, there are 101 active quant dev job listings in the UK, with a median salary of £140k (~$175k USD).

🧠 Challenging and Stimulating Work

Compared to traditional tech roles at big tech companies like Google or Amazon, quant dev work often involves advanced math, statistics and computer science, making it more intellectually engaging for many people.

🌍 Flexibility Beyond Finance

Quant devs are highly versatile:

• If you get tired of finance or you’d like to leave financial hubs like London, Amsterdam, New York, Chicago, Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney you can pivot to other industries.
• Unlike quant researchers or traders, your technical skills are more widely transferable.

🧪 Quantitative Developer vs. Quantitative Researcher

• Quant Researchers are primarily responsible for developing trading strategies and signals. This role is extremely competitive and often requires a PhD in STEM fields such as Mathematics, Physics, or Economics—especially for positions at top firms. These roles are some of the highest-paying opportunities for STEM graduates. However, the pressure is immense; failing to deliver results can lead to termination, sometimes as quickly as six months into the job.
  Example: A team creates a trading strategy with excellent backtest results, but after launch, it underperforms for a year. The researchers and portfolio manager are fired. Ironically, the strategy later outperforms all others in the fund and is scaled up again, but the original team is long gone.

• Quant Developers, on the other hand, are assessed based on the systems they build and deliver. Their work outcomes are generally more predictable and secure compared to researchers. While the profitability of a strategy can be unpredictable, the value of robust, reliable systems is consistently recognized.

📈 Quantitative Developer vs. Quantitative Trader

• Quant Traders in many systematic trading firms often act as operators, executing trades based on systems designed by researchers and developers. They are especially critical in less liquid or over-the-counter (OTC) markets, where they might need to manually negotiate trades, such as through phone calls. For more liquid markets, like stocks, this type of trader is less common since trades are handled electronically.

• There may also be opportunities for traders to engage in scripting by observing market behavior, providing input to trading strategies, or sharing insights about specific strategies with quant researchers and developers. These contributions can help refine and improve the overall trading process.

• Quant Developers are closely involved in creating and optimizing the core systems that enable these trades. Their role offers broader opportunities for innovation and impact, particularly in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of trading operations.

⚙️ What Does a Quantitative Developer Do?

What you do day to day as a quant developer will depend on:

1. Area of the business you are in (front/middle/back office)
2. Whether you work for systematic or discretionary desk
3. Whether you work in sector team or you develop quant tooling
4. Whether you work in buy side or sell side

🏦 Front vs. Middle vs. Back Office

1. Front Office (FO):

   • Work directly with quant researchers and portfolio managers.
   • Responsibilities include productionizing research output, optimizing code, and deploying services for trading strategies.
   • 💡 Pro Tip: FO roles offer higher pay due to their proximity to profit generation.

2. Middle Office (MO):

   • Focus on risk calculation systems and support infrastructure for FO.
   • Collaborate with risk management and model validation teams.

3. Back Office (BO):

   • Handle operations, compliance, and accounting systems.
   • Support automation for non-core functions.

🧑‍💻 Systematic vs. Discretionary

Discretionary

People are making final trading decisions, but they are increasingly supported by quantitative tools. Quantitative developers working for discretionary investment companies often need to do some front-end work. Some discretionary firms might perceive developers more as a cost than an enabler, so I would recommend first inquiring about the company culture if you are considering joining a discretionary trading firm.

Systematic

Fully automated decision-making based on models. These places are usually better for quant devs, as the technology is usually one of the biggest assets of systematic firms.

🔧 Sector Quant Dev vs. Quant Platform Developers

• Sector Quant Developers specialize in a particular asset class. For example, here is a breakdown of different asset classes mentioned in 101 active quant dev job postings in the UK. This means the team you work with focuses on developing strategies specific to that asset class.

• Quant Platform Developers, on the other hand, focus on building tooling and infrastructure used by various sector teams and portfolio managers. This may include services for deploying strategies, backtesting engines, reporting tools, scheduling tools, order management systems, and order execution systems.

🏢 Buy-side vs Sell-side

Buy-side companies that need quant devs include hedge funds and prop trading firms.
Sell-side companies that need quant devs include investment banks and market makers.

I have only worked in a buy-side company, but I often hear from colleagues who came from the sell-side that you generally don’t want to work for investment banks due to toxic work culture. Market makers, on the other hand, are usually a good place to work, even though they are on the sell-side. The reason is that to stay relevant as a market maker today, you must heavily rely on technology, especially low-latency systems built by quant devs.

🛠 Top Coding Languages for Quant Devs

Here’s the breakdown of languages from 101 UK quant dev jobs:

As you can see, Python and C++ are clear winners, with Python slightly leading. Python is the scripting language of choice for the majority of roles out there. You will also find many roles that are primarily Python, primarily C++, or a mix of both.

I also believe that these two languages nicely complement each other, which is why edupython.com focuses mainly on these two languages (along with a bit of web development, which is often needed in quant dev roles).

Other tools:

As you can see, Linux expertise is highly appreciated, along with data-wrangling Python libraries and database systems like SQL and KDB. KDB is a proprietary database (paid) with its own query language called q+. You won’t find many companies outside of finance using KDB; however, all the other tools in the table above are well adopted in other areas.

🛠 How to Become a Quantitative Developer

🎓 Key Skills

1. Strong Fundamentals in Algorithms & Data Structures
   Essential for all quant devs, regardless of specialization.
2. Specialized Knowledge Based on Role:
   • C++ Track: Focus on networking, OS fundamentals, parallel computing, and low-latency optimization.
   • Python Track: Master scientific libraries like NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib, plus data engineering concepts.

🤝 Personalized Help to Kickstart Your Quant Dev Career

I work as a quant dev in a systematic hedge fund in London, and I’d love to help you achieve your goals! 🌟

Services I Offer:

• Resume Reviews
• Mock Technical/Behavioral Interviews
• Career Guidance

📅 Book a session: Calendly - edupython

Details about the current job market were collected from here.