How do SWE compare to traders and quants at tier 1 HFTs? Are SWE second class citizens? I am curious more in terms of the work and visibility in the firm as opposed to comp.
Depends on the strategy of the firm
Why makes you think trader is beneath quant? You watched the big short? The socially awkward Asian dude who received 10s of screen time is a quant. The rest are traders.
Naïveté. Should have added an option for trader > quant.
Your point about trader > quant is valid, but that movie focuses on banks and traditional hedge funds. Not the tech based shops that OP is referring to.
Depends on the firm really. RenTech will value quants the most. Belvedere Trading will value traders
The best are skills with both
SWE are 2nd class citizens mainly
Trader > Quant > SWE Quant develops rules but trader executes it. And also most of the time trader gotta apply their own instincts while trading. And btw, traders have fatter TC and bonus than quant in prop shop but on the flip side chances of getting fired is also high.