Global trading firm XTX Markets has announced a rolling 12–14 week AI research internship programme, offering interns a monthly salary of $35,000, one of the highest compensation packages ever advertised for such a role.
The listing, posted this week, highlights the growing demand for top-tier quantitative and artificial intelligence talent within the high-frequency trading industry.
The move comes just a year after rival trading powerhouse Jane Street Capital made headlines by offering interns $21,000 per month, a figure that was then regarded as industry-leading. XTX’s latest offer now pushes the bar significantly higher, reflecting intensifying competition among trading firms and hedge funds to attract the brightest researchers and technologists.
According to industry analysts, the escalating pay underscores the importance of AI and machine learning in modern trading strategies, where firms race to build algorithms capable of outpacing rivals in speed, prediction, and execution.
XTX Markets, which trades billions of dollars daily across global markets, is positioning its programme not only as a recruitment tool but also as a signal of its readiness to invest heavily in innovation and human capital.
Market watchers note that while such offers highlight lucrative opportunities for young talent in finance and tech, they also illustrate the widening gap between compensation in trading firms and traditional industries.
