Best Cities for Commodities Jobs

Commodities jobs remain highly location driven. Even with more flexible working models, trading, risk taking, and commercial decision making still cluster in a small number of global cities. These hubs concentrate liquidity, infrastructure, regulation, and senior leadership. For employers, this determines where commodity jobs can be filled efficiently and where hiring slows. For candidates, it shapes career progression, compensation, and long term opportunity.

For Selby Jennings clients, understanding where commodities jobs and hiring are growing globally, and what is driving demand in each market, is central to building and scaling effective teams.

London

London remains the most influential city for commodities jobs and hiring worldwide. Its position is underpinned by market depth, regulatory reach, and proximity to decision makers. The city hosts global banks, trading houses, hedge funds, brokers, shipping firms, insurers, and professional services organisations directly tied to commodities markets.

Hiring demand spans the full value chain. Commodities jobs in London include traders, portfolio managers, originators, and structurers across energy, metals, agriculture, and environmental products. Alongside front office roles, firms continue to hire heavily for risk management, quantitative analytics, compliance, operations, trade finance, and technology.

Key skills in London reflect this breadth. Employers prioritise structured trading experience, multi-commodity exposure, and strong risk management capability. Regulatory knowledge and stakeholder management are essential, particularly in senior roles. Quantitative skills, data analysis, and experience with trading platforms increasingly differentiate candidates in a competitive market.

Geneva

Geneva plays a central role in global physical commodities jobs and hiring. The city is closely associated with metals, oil, gas, and agricultural trading houses, many of which operate senior commercial leadership from Switzerland.

Hiring in Geneva is selective and senior led. Firms recruit experienced physical traders, originators, supply chain specialists, and commercial leaders rather than large junior teams. Searches are often confidential and relationship driven.

Key skills in Geneva are deeply market-specific. Employers value strong physical trading experience, logistics expertise, contract structuring, and counterparty risk management. Knowledge of shipping, storage, and trade finance structures remains critical, alongside language capability and international experience.

Singapore

Singapore is the leading hub for commodities jobs and hiring in Asia Pacific. It has developed into a centre for energy, metals, and agricultural trading, supported by political stability, strong regulation, and proximity to regional demand.

Recruitment demand extends beyond trading roles. Firms hire extensively across risk management, middle office, operations, compliance, and technology as regional desks expand and governance frameworks mature.

Key skills in Singapore focus on regional execution. Employers prioritise Asia Pacific market knowledge, cross-border trading experience, and operational control. LNG, power, and energy transition expertise continues to attract strong hiring interest, alongside risk and data capability.

Dubai

Dubai has emerged as one of the fastest growing cities for commodities jobs and hiring. Growth is driven by tax efficiency, infrastructure investment, and the relocation of trading desks to the UAE.

Hiring activity has accelerated across energy, metals, and derivatives markets. Senior front office roles dominate, supported by rising demand for risk, quantitative, and compliance professionals.

Key skills in Dubai centre on leadership and build-out capability. Firms seek experienced traders and portfolio managers with proven PnL responsibility, alongside professionals able to establish governance frameworks in expanding organisations. Relocation experience and adaptability carry more weight here than in mature markets.

New York

New York plays a distinct role in where commodities jobs and hiring are growing globally. Its focus is shaped by financial markets rather than physical trading.

The city is a major centre for commodities derivatives, structured products, hedge funds, and investment banks. Hiring is concentrated in trading, quantitative research, risk, and technology roles.

Key skills in New York are analytical and financial. Employers seek strong modelling capability, data expertise, and regulatory awareness, typically gained within banks or asset managers. Hiring cycles can be volatile and closely tied to broader market conditions.

Houston

Houston remains the dominant city for energy commodities jobs and hiring in North America. Its strength lies in physical oil, gas, power, and increasingly renewables and carbon markets.

Roles are closely tied to assets and infrastructure. Hiring includes trading, scheduling, logistics, risk, engineering, and commercial operations.

Key skills in Houston are operational and technical. Employers value hands-on experience with physical assets, optimisation, and delivery. Engineering or technical backgrounds remain common in senior commercial roles.

Shanghai and Hong Kong

Shanghai and Hong Kong continue to play important roles in commodities jobs and hiring tied to China and Northeast Asia. Shanghai’s relevance is growing in domestic commodities markets, while Hong Kong remains a gateway for international trading, financing, and risk roles.

Key skills in these markets are shaped by regulation and access. Employers prioritise local market knowledge, language capability, and regulatory understanding. Experience working across China-linked supply chains strengthens candidate profiles.

Where are Commodities Jobs Growing by Market

Location alone does not explain hiring demand. Underlying commodity markets play a major role in where commodity jobs and hiring continue to grow, and independent industry data support clear differences between sectors.

Energy

Energy remains the largest driver of commodities jobs globally. According to the International Energy Agency’s analysis of global energy employment and skills shortages, energy employment has continued to expand, but skills gaps are becoming more pronounced rather than easing. The IEA highlights sustained shortages in gas, LNG, power markets, and trading-adjacent roles, where volatility and market complexity require experienced commercial and risk professionals.

This data aligns closely with hiring patterns in major energy hubs. Commodities jobs linked to energy continue to grow in London, Houston, Singapore, and Dubai, where firms recruit traders, schedulers, risk managers, and quantitative specialists to manage physical exposure and price risk. Growth in LNG and power trading remains a consistent source of hiring demand, particularly for candidates with optimisation and system-driven trading experience.

Metals and mining

Metals markets continue to support steady commodities hiring, driven by long-term demand linked to electrification, infrastructure investment, and supply chain security. The International Energy Agency’s Critical Minerals Market Review shows that demand for copper, lithium, nickel, and other critical materials is expected to rise significantly over the coming decade, supported by accelerating investment in mining, processing, and supply chains.

These structural drivers underpin commodities jobs growth in metals trading hubs such as Geneva, London, Singapore, and China-linked markets. Employers continue to prioritise physical market expertise, logistics capability, and long-term contract management. Risk and supply chain roles have also grown in importance as firms respond to geopolitical disruption and counterparty exposure.

Agriculture

Agricultural commodities hiring tends to be more stable than cyclical, but growth is slower than in energy and metals. Data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s global food market monitoring highlights ongoing volatility in agricultural trade flows driven by climate disruption, trade policy changes, and geopolitical risk.

This volatility sustains demand for experienced professionals even in periods of softer overall hiring. Commodities jobs in agriculture therefore, remain concentrated in established trading hubs such as Geneva and Singapore. Employers continue to hire traders, risk managers, and operations professionals with a strong understanding of physical flows, hedging strategies, and seasonal risk dynamics.

Environmental and transition markets

Environmental and transition-related commodities represent a growing source of hiring demand. The World Bank’s carbon pricing and emissions trading data shows that carbon pricing mechanisms now cover an increasing share of global emissions, expanding participation in compliance and voluntary carbon markets.

As these markets grow in scale and regulatory complexity, demand increases for professionals with market knowledge, regulatory understanding, and analytical capability. This supports rising commodities jobs in carbon, emissions, biofuels, and renewable-linked products, particularly in London, Singapore, and increasingly Dubai, alongside growing demand for risk, compliance, and technology roles.

What this means for employers

Where commodities jobs and hiring are growing globally varies by both location and market. Employers that align role design and skill requirements to local conditions hire faster and retain talent more effectively. Applying global assumptions to local hiring often results in extended vacancies or poor retention.

At Selby Jennings, we provide access to passive talent, realistic benchmarking, and informed hiring strategies, particularly for senior or scarce skill searches. Our teams work closely with commodities employers globally, combining local market knowledge with sector expertise to shorten hiring timelines and improve retention. Request a call back today to discuss your hiring plans.

What this means for candidates

For candidates, location and commodity focus directly affect career progression. Core hubs offer stronger exposure and long-term earning potential, but competition and cost of living differ significantly.

Professionals who remain flexible on geography and market focus consistently perform better over time.

Hire commodities talent with Selby Jennings

Commodities hiring moves quickly, and experienced professionals rarely stay available for long. Selby Jennings partners with commodities employers globally to hire across trading, risk, quantitative, operations, and commercial roles.

If you are planning to hire, request a call back to discuss market availability and hiring strategy.

Find your next commodities role

Many commodities jobs are filled discreetly through trusted recruitment partners. Selby Jennings works with trading houses, banks, hedge funds, and energy firms worldwide.

If you are considering a move, view current commodities jobs we are partnered to hire or register your CV to be considered for relevant opportunities as they become available.