They're not talking about the general population, they're talking about a niche career where salaries are in large part driven by performance-related bonuses. "

They're not talking about the general population, they're talking about a niche career where salaries are in large part driven by performance-related bonuses. "On Wall Street" is perhaps too generic, and sure talent will always factor in too, but there are still trading jobs that exist where work output correlates directly with pay. The fact that across jobs nationally the correlation doesn't hold is irrelevant.