The difference is that quants make way more than regular engineers in finance. At google, an engineer working on the next generation database can make a ton of

The difference is that quants make way more than regular engineers in finance. At google, an engineer working on the next generation database can make a ton of money, his work is extremely valuable to the firm. Engineering innovation is central. In finance, engineers in HFT did make a ton, but HFT is no longer very profitable.