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Hft Trading Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

Hft Trading information

See Washington salary details

$60K

$115K

$222K

How much do hft trading jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 1, 2026, the average yearly pay for hft trading in Washington is $114,996.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $65,100.00 and $205,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is HFT trading?

HFT trading, or High-Frequency Trading, is a form of algorithmic trading that uses powerful computers and sophisticated algorithms to execute a large number of orders at extremely high speeds. HFT traders take advantage of very small price discrepancies that exist for only milliseconds. This approach relies heavily on technology, market data, and low-latency connections to financial exchanges. HFT is commonly used by proprietary trading firms and institutional investors to provide liquidity and capitalize on short-term market inefficiencies.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an HFT professional?

To excel in HFT trading, you need strong quantitative and analytical skills, a background in computer science, mathematics, or finance, and often an advanced degree. Expertise in programming languages such as C++, Python, or Java, and familiarity with trading platforms, low-latency systems, and market data feeds are typically required. Exceptional problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and the ability to work well under pressure help professionals stand out in this fast-paced field. These skills and qualities are vital to develop, implement, and monitor complex trading algorithms in highly competitive financial markets.

What are some common challenges faced by professionals in HFT trading roles?

Professionals in high-frequency trading (HFT) often encounter challenges such as managing extremely low-latency systems, adapting to rapidly changing market conditions, and continuously optimizing trading algorithms for speed and efficiency. The work environment is fast-paced and requires constant collaboration with software engineers, data scientists, and other traders to stay ahead of the competition. Success in this role depends on sharp analytical skills, resilience under pressure, and the ability to quickly learn and implement new technologies or strategies.

What is the difference between Hft Trading vs Quant Trader?

AspectHft TradingQuant Trader
Required CredentialsTypically a degree in finance, mathematics, or computer science; often certifications like CFA or FRMSimilar credentials; advanced degrees (Master's or PhD) in quantitative fields are common
Work EnvironmentFast-paced trading firms or hedge funds, often with high-pressure environmentsResearch-focused, often in financial institutions or hedge funds, with emphasis on model development
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in high-frequency trading firms, hedge funds, and proprietary trading desksCommon in quantitative hedge funds, investment banks, and proprietary trading firms

Hft Trading and Quant Trader roles share similar educational backgrounds and work environments, focusing on financial markets and quantitative analysis. However, Hft Trading emphasizes executing high-speed trades using algorithms, while Quant Traders focus on developing trading models and strategies. Both roles are integral to trading firms but differ in daily tasks and technical focus.

How to get into HFT trading?

To get into high-frequency trading (HFT), candidates typically need a strong background in computer science, mathematics, or finance, along with programming skills in languages like C++ or Python. Knowledge of market microstructure, low-latency systems, and trading algorithms is essential, and many professionals gain experience through internships or roles in quantitative trading firms. Advanced degrees such as a master's or Ph.D. can also improve prospects in this competitive field.

Is an Hft trading job stressful?

HFT trading jobs can be stressful due to the fast-paced environment, high stakes, and the need for quick decision-making. Traders often work long hours and must stay focused on market fluctuations, utilizing advanced tools and algorithms to execute trades efficiently.

What are popular job titles related to Hft Trading jobs in Washington?

For Hft Trading jobs in Washington, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What cities in Washington are hiring for Hft Trading jobs?

Cities in Washington with the most Hft Trading job openings:

Infographic showing various Hft Trading job openings in Washington as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $114,996 per year, or $55.3 per hour.

Software Engineer, Data Infrastructure

Washington, DC • On-site


Scale AI, Inc.
Software Development • 201 - 500 employees

8.5

Company rating: 8.5 out of 10

Based on 9 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

81st of 247 rated software companies

Great coworkers

Good employer

Uninterrupted breaks


Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 10 days ago


Job description

Scale AI is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Software Engineer to join our dynamic Public Sector Engineering team. As a part of this team, you will play a critical role in supporting Scale's government customers by scoping and developing onsite solutions. Our scalable, high-performance platform is the foundation for these customer solutions, and your expertise will be instrumental in designing and implementing systems that can handle interactions with existing customer systems to help our products integrate into existing customer workflows.

The Role
  • We are looking for an exceptional Senior Software Engineer to architect and build the foundational data infrastructure that will serve as the brain of a project ecosystem.
  • We are not looking for someone to stitch together off-the-shelf data frameworks. You will be responsible for designing highly novel data models and processing pipelines capable of handling massive quantities of output data from complex simulations.
  • At the core of this role is the challenge of building a foundational data ensemble-a unified architecture that seamlessly aggregates, structures, and stages diverse sources of simulation outputs and user inputs. Your systems will manage enormous batch throughput jobs with strict, minimal latency requirements, ensuring that downstream AI systems and language models have the exact context they need to actionably reason over complex, multi-dimensional scenarios.
Key Responsibilities
  • Architect the Data Ensemble: Design and implement the architecture to ensemble various sources of injected context (deeply structural simulation data, historical game states, and dynamic user inputs) into a unified, highly queryable format optimized for LLM consumption.
  • Massive Batch Infrastructure: Build highly scalable, resilient data architectures from scratch. You will optimize for moving, transforming, and processing massive quantities of simulation output data via enormous batch jobs, maintaining the minimal latency required for rapid wargame iterations.
  • Complex Data Modeling: Design sophisticated, highly relational data models that accurately represent massive, state-based simulation environments, making them easily interpretable by machine learning models.
  • First-Principles Problem Solving: Navigate highly ambiguous product requirements to design custom, ground-up systems where existing open-source or enterprise tools simply cannot handle the structural complexity or scale.
  • Technical Leadership: Set the technical standard for the data infrastructure team, driving rigorous code quality, system performance, and architectural clarity.
What We're Looking For
  • Experience: 5+ years of backend or data infrastructure experience, operating at a Senior, Staff, or Principal level.
  • Engineering Excellence: Deep, expert-level proficiency in systems languages (e.g., Rust, Go, C++, or highly optimized Python/Java, Spark, PySpark) and a fundamental understanding of memory management, compute limits, and distributed systems architecture.
  • High-Throughput / Low-Latency Data: Proven track record of processing massive datasets. You understand how to optimize massive batch jobs and parallel processing across distributed simulation nodes without sacrificing speed.
  • Information Retrieval & Context Surfacing: You don't need a background in AI agents, but you must be an expert in surfacing the right needle from an ocean of hay to feed decision-making engines. We highly value engineers with backgrounds in:
    • Search & RecSys: Building complex information retrieval systems or recommendation engines.
    • Gaming / MMOs: Managing complex state, data relationships, and telemetry for massive, highly populated simulations.
    • High-Frequency Trading (HFT): Processing disparate, massive streams of data for algorithmic decision-making.
  • Mission-Driven: A strong desire to build robust, foundational technology that supports national security and defense modernization.
Nice to Have
    • Security Clearance: An active Secret or TS/SCI clearance is a nice to have for this role. If you do not have an active clearance, you must be eligible and willing to obtain one.
    • Experience with LLM context optimization, vector embeddings, or agentic AI frameworks (e.g., advanced RAG architectures).
    • Deep domain experience working with wargaming data, complex systems modeling, or distributed simulation protocols.
    • Previous experience in a high-growth, 0-to-1 startup environment.

Compensation packages at Scale for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position and may be inclusive of several career levels at Scale; it will be determined during the interview process based on work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, interview performance, and relevant education or training. Scale employees in eligible roles are also granted equity based compensation, subject to Board of Director approval. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process, and confirm whether the hired role will be eligible for equity grant. You'll also receive benefits including, but not limited to: comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, a learning and development stipend, and generous PTO. Additionally, this role may be eligible for additional benefits such as a commuter stipend.

Please reference the job posting's subtitle for where this position will be located. For pay transparency purposes, the base salary range for this full-time position in the locations of San Francisco, New York, Seattle is:
$186,400—$233,000 USD

PLEASE NOTE:Our policy requires a 90-day waiting period before reconsidering candidates for the same role. This allows us to ensure a fair and thorough evaluation of all applicants.

About Us:

At Scale, our mission is to develop reliable AI systems for the world's most important decisions. Our products provide the high-quality data and full-stack technologies that power the world's leading models, and help enterprises and governments build, deploy, and oversee AI applications that deliver real impact. We work closely with industry leaders like Meta, Ernst & Young, Mayo Clinic, Time Inc., the Government of Qatar, and U.S. government agencies including the Army and Air Force. We are expanding our team to accelerate the development of AI applications.

We believe that everyone should be able to bring their whole selves to work, which is why we are proud to be an inclusive and equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability status, gender identity or Veteran status.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation in the application or recruiting process due to a disability, please contact us at accommodations@scale.com. Please see the United States Department of Labor's Know Your Rights poster for additional information.

We comply with the United States Department of Labor's Pay Transparency provision.

PLEASE NOTE: We collect, retain and use personal data for our professional business purposes, including notifying you of job opportunities that may be of interest and sharing with our affiliates. We limit the personal data we collect to that which we believe is appropriate and necessary to manage applicants' needs, provide our services, and comply with applicable laws. Any information we collect in connection with your application will be treated in accordance with our internal policies and programs designed to protect personal data. Please see our privacy policy for additional information.



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