How Much Can You Make Trading Options for Beginners? (2024)

How Much Can You Make Trading Options for Beginners? (1)

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  • By Mike Bolin
  • Updated April 15, 2024

7 min read

  • Reviewed by Angelica Rieder
  • Fact checked by Lucien Bechard

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How much money can you make trading options? That depends on your account size and trading strategy. You could make 20%-50% or more per trade on naked calls and puts. On credit spreads, traders look to take profits around 50%, and debit spreads anywhere from 10-$50% or more. It would be best if you got started, but ideally, $10,000 or more.

How Much Can You Make Trading Options for Beginners? (3)

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Table of Contents

  • How Much Can You Make Trading Options?
    • Basics on How Much You Can Make Trading Options
    • Ivan’s Story
    • Ivan’s Rules
  • Does Account Size Matter?
    • The Universal Secret to Making Profit

How Much Can You Make Trading Options?

How much money can you make trading options? It’s realistic to make anywhere between 10% – $50% or more per trade. If you have at least $10,000 or more in an account, you could make $250 – $1,000 or more trading them. It’s important to manage your risk properly by trading them.

Let’s face it; we’re all drawn to thestockmarket to make money, end of the story. You’re lying to yourself if you say otherwise.

Perhaps you dream of the day you can flip your boss the bird, wake up in a hammock on a beach, or race hedgehogs in Spain – I don’t know, I’m not judging.

But, what Idoknow is it’s going to cost money. And maybe that’s why you decided the stock market is your answer.

So, the million-dollarquestion is, “How much can you make trading options? You might not like my answer.

I don’t know.

Basics on How Much You Can Make Trading Options

Before answering how much you can make trading options, you need to understand what optionsare. Options have an unfair perception because people don’t take the proper time to learn how to trade them. They’re a great way to make money with a small account.

One option contract controls 100 shares. As a result, you’re paying the premium to control 100 shares instead of outright buying them. Options give you the right but not the obligation to buy (call) or sell (put) a contract at a set price within a certain time frame.

Did you know that options have strategies that allow you to make money in any market? Yes, even sideways markets. That’s part of the appeal of options trading.

There are a lot more moving parts to options trading than trading stocks. Then, you’ll be ready to face the options head-on. And hopefully, it answers how much you can make trading options for yourself.

COURSE
How Much Can You Make Trading Options for Beginners? (4) How Much Can You Make Trading Options for Beginners? (5) How Much Can You Make Trading Options for Beginners? (6)
DESCRIPTION Learn how to read penny stock charts, premarket preparation, target buy and sell zones, scan for stocks to trade, and get ready for live day trading action
Learn how to buy and sell options, assignment options, implement vertical spreads, and the most popular strategies, and prepare for live options trading How to read futures charts, margin requirements, learn the COT report, indicators, and the most popular trading strategies, and prepare for live futures trading
INCLUDED Daily watch lists • Trade rooms • Trading scanners • Discord • Live streaming
Day Trading >
Daily watch lists • Trade rooms • Options scanners • Discord • Live streaming
Options >
Futures target levels • Trade rooms • Real time teaching • Discord • Live streaming
Futures >

Ivan’s Story

Now that I have your attention let’s start with what not to do. Here’s a little story from Ivan. 2006, Ivan quit his job and started trading full-time with a 100k account.

So far, so good. Over five years, give or take, his account dwindled to around 14k. So far, not so good. What happened? For those who don’t know Ivan, he’s highly emotional and compulsive.

Which unfortunately spilled over into his trading. He made the rookie mistake of trading on gut instinct and trigger happy, jumping in and out of trades. That affects how much you can make trading options.

He knew, in theory, how to trade, but when the rubber hit the road, his emotions were behind the wheel. Emotion will always affect profit and loss. Hence, answering the question of how much you can make trading options isn’t easy.

With 86k down the drain, what did Ivan do? He didn’t drive the car off the road, although I’m sure it passed his mind.

He had an AHA moment, pulled it together, and realized he needed a system or a set of rules to govern his behavior. No more guessing, no more hoping and wishing.

No, he decided to structure his trading operations and give himself a set of rules or modus operands; with the 14k he had left to trade with, he made his fortune. In his own words, here are Ivan’s “rules.”

Ivan’s Rules

I would risk about $450 per trade, allowing me to place about 15 trades (using leverage), which meant I would have about 15 chances to increase my account to a more decent level.

When (and if) I reached such a level, I would decrease my risk and leverage, ensuring that risk became less volatile and more linear.

I would be completely okay with failure. If I were to blow that remaining amount off my account, I was ready to bite the bullet, return to my old employers, and beg them to take me back again. There is an old expression: the end justifies the means.”

To make a long story short, Ivan grew the account. As the account increased, he slowly reduced position size because conserving capital became more of a concern.

Fast forward to today, and that account is well past the 300k mark. So, how much can you make trading options?

Does Account Size Matter?

Honestly, the size of your trading account has no bearing on whether or not you are or will be a successful options trader. Firstly, you need to view market success as a function of whether or not you followed your system or rules. Secondly, is your system profitable?

If the answer is yes and yes, you’re successful. So, if your account is $2,000 and you consistently make $200 monthly, you should consider yourself a successful options trader.

Even though you obviously can’t quit your job just yet, you’re successful.

Focus on trading the markets, not on making money.Which might put a damper on how much you can make trading options.

Some people start trading with a 25k or 100k account and quickly lose all their money- remember our good friend Ivan? In contrast, other traders start with 1k and, in time, build a substantial trading account.

Your success lies not in the size of your trading account but in your beliefs about successful trading. Trust me, the money will follow if you learn to trade the market successfully by following your rules.

How Much Can You Make Trading Options for Beginners? (7)

If you can afford one contract on this chain, that may be all you need.

The Universal Secret to Making Profit

What do people who make much money in this world have in common? What about Tiger Woods and Bill Gates? Or how about Warren Buffet and Venus Williams?

At first, you might say “nothing” other than they all make a ton of money. But what is the one thing that makes these people so successful while the rest of us struggle to get out of bed in the morning? One word: specialization.

Specialization is the secret.

What sets apart those who make a lot of money from us is they focus on the one thing. And they practice it again and again and again until they get the results they are looking for.

All the people I have just named have “mastered” one thing. I’m confident they had ups and downs along the way, but they did not let that bother them; they just kept going. Furthermore, you might find a great book called “The One Thing” interesting; I sure know I did.

If you need more help, take ouroptions trading course.

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How Much Can You Make Trading Options for Beginners? (18)

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How Much Can You Make Trading Options for Beginners? (2024)

FAQs

How much do beginner options traders make? ›

That depends on your account size and trading strategy. You could make 20%-50% or more per trade on naked calls and puts. On credit spreads, traders look to take profits around 50%, and debit spreads anywhere from 10-$50% or more. It would be best if you got started, but ideally, $10,000 or more.

Can I start options trading with $100? ›

If you're looking to get started, you could start trading options with just a few hundred dollars. However, if you make a wrong bet, you could lose your whole investment in weeks or months. A safer strategy is to become a long-term buy-and-hold investor and grow your wealth over time.

How much profit will I get with $10,000 in options trading? ›

In case you very good as option buyer then 10,000 is enough to get started and you can make 500 rupees per day. But this circumstance is true only if you are extremely good as option buyer. In reality even best of the best option buyers do not posses that kind of skills.

What is a good amount to start options trading? ›

In options trading, only using small amounts of money can be a hindrance as many brokers may restrict what you can do. It is highly advisable that at a minimum, one should be putting in $5,000-10,000 for starting options trading in order to make any profits.

Can you realistically make money trading options? ›

Options traders can profit by being option buyers or option writers. Options allow for potential profit during volatile times, regardless of which direction the market is moving. This is possible because options can be traded in anticipation of market appreciation or depreciation.

Can you make a living off options trading? ›

How Much Does an Options Trader Make? It's realistic for an options trader to make at least $100,000 per year or more full-time, but it's important to realize that most traders won't make this amount. It takes hard work, mental discipline, and proper capital for a trader to make this kind of money.

Can you make $200 a day trading? ›

A common approach for new day traders is to start with a goal of $200 per day and work up to $800-$1000 over time. Small winners are better than home runs because it forces you to stay on your plan and use discipline. Sure, you'll hit a big winner every now and then, but consistency is the real key to day trading.

Is options trading worth it for beginners? ›

The main disadvantage of options contracts is that they are complex and difficult to price. This is why options are often considered a more advanced investment vehicle, suitable only for experienced investors.

Can you become a millionaire trading options? ›

Can you get rich trading options? The short answer is yes. However, options are more involved than stocks. As a result, you have to put in time to develop a winning strategy.

What is the safest option strategy? ›

The safest option strategy is one that involves limited risk, such as buying protective puts or employing conservative covered call writing. Selling cash-secured puts stands as the most secure strategy in options trading, offering a clear risk profile and prospects for income while keeping overall risk to a minimum.

Which option strategy is most profitable? ›

A Bull Call Spread is made by purchasing one call option and concurrently selling another call option with a lower cost and a higher strike price, both of which have the same expiration date. Furthermore, this is considered the best option selling strategy.

Is options trading really worth it? ›

Options can be a better choice when you want to limit risk to a certain amount. Options can allow you to earn a stock-like return while investing less money, so they can be a way to limit your risk within certain bounds. Options can be a useful strategy when you're an advanced investor.

How much money do I need to invest to make $1000 a month? ›

A stock portfolio focused on dividends can generate $1,000 per month or more in perpetual passive income, Mircea Iosif wrote on Medium. “For example, at a 4% dividend yield, you would need a portfolio worth $300,000.

Is Option Trading good for beginners? ›

Low Risk

In fact, they can be far more risky than owning equities. But we must also consider that they can help avoid risk in many ways too. If you learn about options trading for beginners, you will know more about the advantages that you can receive from this form of trading.

Can I start trading options with $500? ›

Yes, you can trade options for only $500, but it is important to note that options trading involves significant risks and may not be suitable for everyone. Online brokers like Robinhood and TD Ameritrade offer commission-free options trading and allow you to start trading with no minimum deposit.

Can a beginner start option trading? ›

You can get started trading options by opening an account, choosing to buy or sell puts or calls, and choosing an appropriate strike price and timeframe. Generally speaking, call buyers and put sellers profit when the underlying stock rises in value. Put buyers and call sellers profit when it falls.

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