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Home / Compensation / Optiver / Software Engineer
Total compensation for a Optiver Software Engineer ranges from about $275K at the entry level to $775K+ at the most senior bands, with a typical mid-level package around $480K. Below is the full breakdown by level - base salary, annual equity, and bonus - from public-source data.
Public-source estimates (Beta). Last updated 2026-10. Figures are annualized USD.
| Level | Years | Base (p50) | Equity/yr (p50) | Bonus (p50) | Total (p25-p90) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L3Graduate Software Engineer | 0-2 YOE | $200K | $0K | $110K | $275K - $440K |
| L4Software Engineer | 2-6 YOE | $200K | $0K | $270K | $400K - $680K |
| L5Senior Software Engineer | 5+ YOE | $200K | $0K | $265K | $400K - $775K |
Entry-level. Chicago graduate postings list a flat $200K base plus a discretionary bonus from a global profit-sharing pool. Reported entry-level totals run ~$314K-$351K. New grads start with Optiver's eight-week Global Academy.
Mid-level. Levels.fyi's US L4 median is ~$483K. Mid-level Chicago postings still list $200K base, so nearly all growth comes through the profit-sharing bonus, which moves with firm results.
Sparse public data - directional. Levels.fyi's US L5 median (~$447K) sits below its L4 median, a sign of few reports. Senior Chicago postings list $175K-$200K base; the upper base percentiles are widened, not sourced.
Optiver does not publish an engineering ladder. L3/L4/L5 are Levels.fyi's standardized buckets for US reports. Optiver's Chicago postings state a single base figure rather than a range - $200K for graduate, mid-level, and most senior roles - so base varies far less than bonus.
6 rounds. 5 of them can be practised here - each one below links the rep that trains it.
Online assessment
Candidate reports describe a multi-part assessment, often several hours: a coding section that may ask you to build a small object-oriented system, multiple-choice questions on CS fundamentals such as operating systems and networking, and an aptitude section. Optiver accepts one application per role per year, so prepare before you apply.
Free rep: Coding challenges with a real sandbox →Recruiter screen
Short call on your background and motivation. Reports say generic answers about wanting to work in finance land badly - be specific about why trading systems and Optiver interest you.
Technical coding interview(s)
One or two rounds per candidate reports, with live coding and a deep dive into a past project. Optiver's advice: pick the right data structures, know their complexity, be ready to explain how data sits in memory, and ask clarifying questions up front.
Free rep: Coding challenges with a real sandbox →Final round: CS fundamentals (technical depth)
Reported as a discussion round on concurrency, memory models, cache locality, and TCP vs UDP. For senior roles, postings ask for systems-level C or C++ with Linux and networking fundamentals.
Free rep: What this round looks for →Final round: system design
Reported prompts lean low-latency - market data feeds, order handling - often with back-of-the-envelope estimates. Optiver recommends whiteboarding or labelled diagrams.
Free rep: Design walkthrough: Design a Distributed Message Queue (Kafka deep-dive) →Final round: behavioral
Optiver's tips recommend the STAR method, reflecting on past experiences, and practicing out loud, and say it wants 'the real you, not a rehearsed script.' Reported questions cover technical disagreement, deadlines, and pushback on your design decisions.
Free rep: STAR answers: Conflict with a Coworker →The full Optiver prep pack → what they value, topic emphasis, and the questions candidates ask.
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