Municipal Bond Trader Career Information

A municipal bond is a debt security issued by a city, state, municipality, or other government entity to finance its capital expenditures, such as the construction of highways, bridges, or schools. As a Municipal Bond Trader, you’re the person who trades these bonds. You generally work for a financial institution when you’re a Municipal Bond Trader, such as a bank or private equity firm.

Because municipal bonds are unlike new-issue stock that’s brought to market with price restrictions, they’re free to trade at any time once they’re purchased by the investor. As a professional Municipal Bond Trader, you regularly trade and re-trade the same bonds several times a week.

In this position, you’re responsible for buying and selling institutional municipal bonds, evaluating the market, and ensuring that your clients receive the best rates available. You maintain appropriate positions to sell to the firm’s retail and institutional customers, and assist other Traders in trading municipal bonds. You also review the orders you receive for accuracy, keep appropriate records of trades, and make sure orders comply with regulations. Your goal as a Municipal Trader is to turn over the inventory quickly and profitably.

Good written and verbal communication skills, strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to multitask and work independently are must-haves for this job.