How much money does the average day trader make? The question is impossible to answer. Few day traders disclose their results to anyone but the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Moreover, results vary widely given the myriad of trading strategies, risk management practices, and amounts of capital available for day trading.
To be sure, losing money at day trading is easy. A research paper from University of California researchers Brad Barber and Terrance Odean found that many individual investors hold undiversified portfolios and trade actively, speculatively, and to their own detriment. Day traders can also incur high brokerage fees, so picking the best broker and creating a manageable trading strategy with proper risk management is essential.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Day traders rarely hold positions overnight and attempt to profit from intraday price moves and trends.
- Day trading is a highly risky activity, with the vast majority of day traders losing money—but it is potentially lucrative for those who achieve success.
- Several factors come into play in determining potential upside from day trading, including starting capital amount, strategies used, the markets in which you are active, and luck.
- Experienced day traders tend to take their job seriously, remaining disciplined and sticking with their strategy.