How Much Can You Earn with a Prop Firm? (Realistic Numbers for 2026)
A $100k FTMO account at 5% monthly profit with 90% split pays $4,500/month. Here are realistic earnings across account sizes, profit rates, and prop firms — with the math shown.
The promise of prop firm trading is access to capital you don't own — trade a $100,000 or $200,000 account, keep 80–100% of the profits. On paper, the numbers look compelling. In practice, most traders either don't model the realistic income or don't account for the challenge fees, pass rates, and actual monthly profit rates serious traders achieve.
This guide does the math honestly — showing expected earnings at different account sizes, profit rates, and profit splits, alongside what the challenge costs and what realistic monthly returns look like.
The Basic Earnings Formula
Monthly earnings = Account size × Monthly profit % × Profit split %
Simple in theory. The variable that matters most is the one traders most often inflate: monthly profit %.
Earnings by Account Size — Conservative vs Aggressive
These tables use two monthly profit scenarios:
- Conservative: 3% monthly (achievable for consistent traders)
- Aggressive: 6% monthly (top-quartile performance, not typical)
FTMO — Up to 90% Profit Split
| Account Size | Conservative (3%/mo) | Aggressive (6%/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $270/mo → $3,240/yr | $540/mo → $6,480/yr |
| $25,000 | $675/mo → $8,100/yr | $1,350/mo → $16,200/yr |
| $50,000 | $1,350/mo → $16,200/yr | $2,700/mo → $32,400/yr |
| $100,000 | $2,700/mo → $32,400/yr | $5,400/mo → $64,800/yr |
| $200,000 | $5,400/mo → $64,800/yr | $10,800/mo → $129,600/yr |
BrightFunded — Up to 100% Profit Split
| Account Size | Conservative (3%/mo) | Aggressive (6%/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $300/mo → $3,600/yr | $600/mo → $7,200/yr |
| $25,000 | $750/mo → $9,000/yr | $1,500/mo → $18,000/yr |
| $50,000 | $1,500/mo → $18,000/yr | $3,000/mo → $36,000/yr |
| $100,000 | $3,000/mo → $36,000/yr | $6,000/mo → $72,000/yr |
| $400,000 | $12,000/mo → $144,000/yr | $24,000/mo → $288,000/yr |
FundedNext — Up to 95% Profit Split + 15% Evaluation Share
| Account Size | Conservative (3%/mo) | Aggressive (6%/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $285/mo → $3,420/yr | $570/mo → $6,840/yr |
| $25,000 | $712/mo → $8,550/yr | $1,425/mo → $17,100/yr |
| $100,000 | $2,850/mo → $34,200/yr | $5,700/mo → $68,400/yr |
| $300,000 | $8,550/mo → $102,600/yr | $17,100/mo → $205,200/yr |
FundedNext also pays 15% of profits earned during the evaluation phase itself — unique among major prop firms. On a $100,000 account at 3%/month through a 2-month evaluation, that's an extra $900 on top of the funded account earnings.
The Reality Check: Challenge Fees and Pass Rates
The earnings tables above show what you make after passing. The cost of getting there is real and should be factored in.
Approximate FTMO Challenge Fees (2-Step)
| Account Size | Approx. Fee |
|---|---|
| $10,000 | |
| $25,000 | |
| $50,000 | |
| $100,000 | |
| $200,000 |
The Pass Rate
FTMO published a pass rate of 17.7% between January 2023 and March 2024 for traders who traded at least once. That means on average, a trader attempting the challenge pays the fee roughly 5–6 times before passing — or improves their preparation significantly.
Expected total cost to pass a $100,000 FTMO challenge at average pass rates: ~$3,000 in fees before the first funded account.
This is why the earnings from the funded account need to be modelled over a realistic horizon, not just a single month. The challenge fees are the upfront cost of the business.
How Long to Break Even?
Break-even = Total challenge fees paid ÷ Monthly funded account earnings
| Scenario | Challenge fees paid | Monthly earnings | Break-even |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100k FTMO, 3%/mo, pass on 3rd attempt | ~$1,785 | $2,700 | 0.7 months |
| $100k FTMO, 3%/mo, pass on 6th attempt | ~$3,570 | $2,700 | 1.3 months |
| $25k FTMO, 3%/mo, pass on 4th attempt | ~$1,100 | $675 | 1.6 months |
Even with multiple failed attempts, break-even comes quickly once funded — because the earnings from a funded account dwarf the challenge fee at most account sizes. The real cost of failing isn't the fee; it's the months lost before being funded.
What Monthly Profit Rate Is Realistic?
This is the number most people get wrong.
| Monthly profit % | Annual return | How common |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2% | 12–24% | Achievable for consistent systematic traders |
| 3–5% | 36–60% | Strong performance, top third of funded traders |
| 6–10% | 72–120% | Exceptional, rare on a consistent basis |
| 10%+ | 120%+ | Unsustainable long-term for most strategies |
Most traders who model their prop firm earnings use 5–10% monthly. Most funded traders who last more than 6 months operate at 1–4%. The difference between a compelling spreadsheet and a realistic income plan is this number.
A 2% monthly rate on $100,000 with 90% split = $1,800/month. That's meaningful income for most people, and it's achievable. Targeting 8% monthly to make the numbers more exciting usually ends in a drawdown breach.
Scaling: How Earnings Grow Over Time
Most major prop firms offer scaling plans that increase your funded account size as you demonstrate consistency.
FTMO scaling path (approximate):
- Start at $100,000 funded
- After consistent profitable months, increase toward $200,000
- Multiple accounts permitted (up to $2M per trader in the aggregate program)
BrightFunded max: $400,000 per account
FundedNext max: $300,000 per account
At $200,000 with 3% monthly and 90% split: $5,400/month → $64,800/year. At $400,000 with BrightFunded at 100% split: $12,000/month → $144,000/year. These are realistic upper bounds for serious, consistent traders — not typical, but achievable with the right approach.
The Honest Summary
Prop firm trading offers genuine income potential for consistent traders. The numbers work. But the math only holds if your monthly profit rate is realistic, your challenge pass rate improves with preparation, and you treat the challenge fees as a business cost rather than a lottery ticket.
Key takeaways:
- Model at 2–4% monthly profit, not 8–10%
- Factor in challenge fees over multiple attempts
- The funded account earnings recover the fee cost quickly once you're in
- Scaling to $200k–$400k is where the serious income numbers come from
Compare the Main Prop Firms
- FTMO vs FundedNext — FundedNext's 15% eval share and 95% split vs FTMO's brand and track record
- FTMO vs BrightFunded — 100% split and faster payouts vs FTMO's reputation
- FundedNext vs BrightFunded — choosing between the two high-split alternatives
- Why Traders Fail Prop Firm Challenges — make sure you're in the 17.7% who pass
- Prop Firm Daily Drawdown Calculator