Direct answer: how much do forex traders make per year?
There is no single, dependable “average” yearly income for forex traders. In practice, yearly results vary because they depend on how much a person trades (position size and frequency), how often trades are profitable, and the costs paid along the way—one of which is often per-lot commission. If you mean “make” as net income after all trading costs and any losses, then annual figures can be positive, near zero, or negative depending on performance.
Because you asked within the scope of per lot commission, it helps to separate two ideas: (1) the profit or loss from trading, and (2) the commission cost that reduces net results. Per-lot commission alone does not determine yearly earnings.
How “per year” and “per lot commission” work together
To reason about yearly earnings, you need clear definitions.
- What “make” means
- Gross trading gains: money from profitable trades before costs.
- Net trading gains: gross gains minus commissions, spreads, swaps/financing, and other fees.
- Net annual income: net gains (or losses) over a year.
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Where per-lot commission fits Per-lot commission is a fee charged based on traded volume. Volume is usually described in lots, and commission is calculated per traded lot, then multiplied by the number of lots traded over time. If you trade more, you pay more commission; if you trade less, you pay less.
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Why annual outcomes still vary Even with the same per-lot commission structure, two traders can have different yearly results because their trading performance differs (win/loss rate, average gain versus average loss, and drawdown duration). Commission is only one component of net results.
Example checks you can do (without promising outcomes)
You can create a simple, verifiable accounting framework to understand how much yearly earnings could be influenced by per-lot commission.
- Commission impact estimate: pick a time window (for example, one year) and estimate total traded lots in that period. Multiply total lots by the per-lot commission rate you were charged. This gives an estimate of total commission cost.
- Compare to trading results: use your own recorded gross profit/loss from trades for the same period, then subtract estimated commission to approximate net profit after commission.
- Account for other costs: recognize that per-lot commission is not the only cost. Spreads and any financing-like fees (where applicable) can further change net annual outcomes.
If your goal is to understand “how much,” the key check is whether you are measuring gross or net results, because commission can be large enough to matter even when trading performance looks good before costs.
Limitations and uncertainty
- No fixed number: yearly income cannot be stated as a single universal figure because trading performance and activity levels differ.
- No promise about future results: past or hypothetical patterns do not guarantee future outcomes.
- Commission is not the whole story: per-lot commission changes net results, but it does not predict trading profitability.
- Independent verification matters: to answer “how much” for a specific situation, you need actual trade records and the exact cost terms applied to your account.
If you want, tell me what you mean by “make” (gross vs net, and whether you include other fees). I can help you set up a clear calculation method focused on per-lot commission.