TradeDay Profit Target Guide: Amounts and Strategies

Written by Paul

Published on

January 16, 2026

You're staring at your TradeDay dashboard trying to figure out exactly how much profit you need to pass evaluation. The website says "$2,500 on a $100K account," but how hard is that actually? Can you hit it in 5 days or does it take 3 weeks? And what happens if you make $3,000 — is that better, or does it somehow mess up your consistency rule?

I've hit profit targets on four TradeDay evaluations and failed to hit them on three others. My fastest was 6 days ($1,500 on a $50K account). My slowest was 23 days ($2,500 on a $100K account with a brutal drawdown setback in week two). Every evaluation taught me something about how to actually structure your trading to hit targets efficiently without violating other rules.

This is your complete breakdown of TradeDay's profit targets — the exact amounts by account size, realistic timelines for hitting them, specific strategies that work, and how your profit target interacts with the consistency rule and drawdown limits.

Quick heads-up: This article is based on my real experience with TradeDay and the info available when I published/updated this. Things change in prop trading — rules, payouts, promos, all of it.

For the absolute latest, check TradeDay´s website or their faq page.

The Profit Targets by Account Size

TradeDay sets profit targets as a percentage of your starting account balance. Bigger accounts need more absolute dollars, but smaller percentages.

$50K Account: $1,500 profit required (3.0% of starting balance)

$100K Account: $2,500 profit required (2.5% of starting balance)

$150K Account: $3,750 profit required (2.5% of starting balance)

Notice the $50K requires a higher percentage return. This is intentional — TradeDay wants to make sure smaller account traders can handle the tighter position limits before getting funded. If you can generate 3% with just 1 contract (or 10 micros), you're ready for larger size.

The $100K and $150K accounts require the same percentage (2.5%) but the absolute dollar amount scales linearly with account size.

How Profit Is Calculated

Your profit is measured as your closed balance minus your starting balance. Unrealized profit on open positions doesn't count until you close the trade.

Example: You start at $100,000. You make $2,200 in closed trades. You have an open position with $400 unrealized profit. Your actual profit toward the target is $2,200, not $2,600. Close that open position and your profit becomes $2,600 (assuming the unrealized stays +$400).

This matters because some traders think they've hit their target when they include open positions. Close everything, check your actual closed balance, then confirm you're above the target before requesting evaluation review.

For complete details on all five evaluation objectives you need to satisfy, see the TradeDay evaluation rules guide.

How Long Does It Actually Take to Hit Your Target?

The most common question: "How many days will it take me to pass?"

Realistic timelines based on my experience and what I see in Discord:

Conservative traders (risking $100-200 per trade, 1-2 trades per day): 15-25 trading days

Moderate traders (risking $300-500 per trade, 2-4 trades per day): 10-15 trading days

Aggressive traders (risking $500-800 per trade, 4+ trades per day): 5-10 trading days (if they don't blow up)

Scalpers (dozens of small trades, tight risk): 12-20 trading days typically

These are calendar days spent trading, not total days elapsed. If you trade 3 days a week, a "10 trading day" target means 3-4 calendar weeks.

My Actual Timelines Across Four Passing Evaluations

Eval #1 ($50K EOD): 12 trading days. Made $1,680 total (needed $1,500). Took safe trades, never risked more than $150 per trade. Boring but effective.

Eval #2 ($100K EOD): 23 trading days. Made $2,540 (needed $2,500). Had a terrible week two where I lost $820, which set me back hard. Took way longer than planned.

Eval #3 ($100K Intraday): 7 trading days. Made $2,700 (needed $2,500). Traded more aggressively with 2 contracts, caught a strong NQ trend, got lucky.

Eval #4 ($150K EOD): 16 trading days. Made $3,890 (needed $3,750). Steady progress, no major setbacks, textbook evaluation.

The variance is huge. Sometimes you hit targets fast because markets cooperate. Sometimes it takes weeks because you're grinding through choppy conditions.

Can You Exceed Your Profit Target?

Yes, and you should.

There's no penalty for making more than your target. TradeDay doesn't care if you make $1,500 or $3,000 on a $50K account — as long as you hit the minimum and satisfy all other objectives, you pass.

Why you should go over:

Buffer for mistakes. If you hit $2,600 on a $100K account (target is $2,500) and you still need one more trading day to satisfy the 5-day minimum, you have $100 cushion. If that fifth day ends up being a small loser (-$80), you're still at $2,520 and pass.

Consistency rule safety. Going over your target by 10-20% makes it easier to stay under the 30% consistency threshold. If you hit exactly $2,500 and your best day was $900, you're at 36% on that day (over the 30% limit). But if you hit $3,000 total and your best day was still $900, that's only 30% — borderline but passes.

Confidence boost. Ending your evaluation at $2,800 instead of $2,510 feels way better psychologically. You know you crushed it versus squeaking by.

How Much Over Is Optimal?

On a $100K account (target $2,500), aim for $2,700-3,000. That gives you 8-20% buffer without requiring significantly more time.

On a $50K account (target $1,500), aim for $1,650-1,800.

On a $150K account (target $3,750), aim for $4,000-4,500.

Don't go crazy trying to hit $5,000 on a $100K account just for the sake of it. The faster you pass and get funded, the sooner you're making real money. There's diminishing returns to spending extra weeks padding your evaluation profits.

For specific strategies on managing your profit distribution to pass consistency, see the TradeDay consistency rule breakdown.

Profit Target Strategies by Account Size

Different account sizes need different approaches because position limits and risk capacity vary.

$50K Account Strategy

Position Limits: 1 standard contract or 10 micro contracts

My recommended approach: Trade micro contracts (MES or MNQ) to maximize flexibility and minimize risk. With 10 micros available, you can scale in/out of positions and manage risk precisely.

Example plan:

Trade 2-4 MES contracts per position
Risk $80-120 per trade (1.5-2 points on MES with 2 contracts)
Target $100-150 profit per winning trade
Need 10-15 winning trades (net) to hit $1,500

Timeline: 12-18 trading days if you trade once per day. Can compress to 8-10 days if you trade twice per day.

Pitfall to avoid: Don't rush with full 10-micro positions trying to hit target in 5 days. You'll violate consistency (one $600 day is 40% of $1,500) or hit drawdown.

I passed my first $50K eval using exactly this strategy. Traded 2-3 MES per position, made $90-180 per winning trade, took 12 days to hit $1,680 total profit.

$100K Account Strategy

Position Limits: 2 standard contracts or 20 micro contracts

My recommended approach: Use 1 standard contract (ES or NQ) for most trades, occasionally add a second contract for high-conviction setups.

Example plan:

Primary: 1 NQ contract per trade
Risk $300-400 per trade (15-20 points on NQ)
Target $400-600 profit per winning trade
Need 5-8 net winning trades to hit $2,500

Timeline: 7-12 trading days if you're capturing one solid winner every 1-2 days.

Alternative (conservative): Trade 5-10 MES contracts instead of 1 ES. Same math but smaller per-trade volatility. Takes 10-15 days instead.

My fastest $100K pass was 7 days using 1-2 NQ contracts. Caught a strong trend week, made $700 on Day 3, $620 on Day 5, and $480 on Day 6. Three big winners carried the evaluation.

$150K Account Strategy

Position Limits: 3 standard contracts or 30 micro contracts

My recommended approach: Use 2 contracts consistently, add a third for exceptional setups only.

Example plan:

Standard: 2 NQ contracts per trade
Risk $500-700 per trade (15-20 points per contract)
Target $800-1,200 profit per winning trade
Need 5-7 net winning trades to hit $3,750

Timeline: 8-14 trading days depending on how many high-conviction trades you find.

Important: The $150K account has the same percentage target as $100K (2.5%), but the absolute dollar amount ($3,750) requires more patience. Don't force trades just to speed up. Quality over quantity.

I passed my $150K eval in 16 days. Averaged $240 profit per day — steady, boring, effective. No heroics needed.

For detailed comparisons of account sizes including how position limits affect your strategy, see the TradeDay account sizes guide.

How Profit Target Interacts With Consistency Rule

This is where most traders screw up. You can hit your profit target and still fail evaluation if you violate the 30% consistency rule.

The Rule: No single trading day can account for more than 30% of your total profit.

The Math: Best Day Profit ÷ Total Profit = Percentage for that day. If over 30%, you fail.

Example: Passing Consistency While Hitting Profit Target

$100K account, need $2,500 profit:

Day 1: +$400
Day 2: +$300
Day 3: +$600
Day 4: +$500
Day 5: +$700

Total: $2,500. Best day was Day 5 at $700. That's 700 ÷ 2,500 = 28%. Pass.

Example: Failing Consistency Despite Hitting Profit Target

$100K account, same $2,500 target:

Day 1: +$1,200 (big day!)
Day 2: +$400
Day 3: +$600
Day 4: +$200
Day 5: +$100

Total: $2,500. Best day was Day 1 at $1,200. That's 1,200 ÷ 2,500 = 48%. Fail.

Even though you hit profit target, you violated consistency. Evaluation over.

The Strategy: Build Profit Slowly

If you want to hit $2,500 on a $100K account and stay under 30% on every day, your maximum single-day profit is $750 (because 750 ÷ 2,500 = 30%).

But that assumes perfect distribution. In reality, you want buffer. Aim for no single day over $650-700 to be safe.

My approach: I target $300-500 per day when working toward $2,500. That way even my best days stay around 20-25% of total, giving me huge consistency margin.

The killer scenario: You make $1,000 on Day 2 (feeling great!). Now you need to make $1,500+ additional profit just to keep that $1,000 day under 30%. You need total profit of $3,334 to make $1,000 equal 30% ($1,000 ÷ $3,334 = 30%).

That means you turned a $2,500 target into a $3,334+ target because you had one massive day early. This happens all the time.

For a detailed consistency calculator and strategies to avoid this trap, see the consistency rule guide.

How Profit Target Interacts With Drawdown Limits

Your profit target and drawdown limit operate independently, but they affect each other strategically.

Max Drawdown Limits:

$50K account: $2,000 max drawdown
$100K account: $3,000 max drawdown
$150K account: $4,000 max drawdown

The Relationship:

If you're at $102,000 balance (up $2,000), your drawdown is calculated from that $102,000 peak. You can drop to $99,000 before hitting your $3,000 limit.

But if you drop to $99,000, you're now only $1,000 net profit (need $2,500). You need to climb back up $1,500 just to hit target, and you only have $2,000 drawdown room left from your peak.

Example: Profit Swings That Eat Drawdown Room

$100K account:

Start: $100,000
Make $1,800, now at $101,800 (peak)
Lose $900, now at $100,900
Drawdown: $900 from peak (have $2,100 room left)
Net profit: $900 (need another $1,600 to hit $2,500)

You're halfway to your profit target but you've used 30% of your drawdown allowance. If you hit another bad streak and drop to $99,300, you're at $1,500 drawdown (only $1,500 room left) and still need $1,100 more profit.

The Strategy: Build profit steadily without major swings. Avoid the rollercoaster of +$1,500 then -$800 then +$1,200. Aim for consistent $300-500 gains every few days.

My worst evaluation (the one that took 23 days) was because I made $1,600 in week one, then lost $820 in week two. That loss ate through my drawdown buffer and made me trade scared for the next 10 days.

For complete details on how different drawdown types work and which to choose, see the drawdown types comparison.

Realistic Daily Profit Targets by Account Size

Here's how I think about daily targets:

$50K Account (Need $1,500 Total)

Conservative: $100-150 per day × 10-15 days = $1,500-2,250

Moderate: $150-250 per day × 6-10 days = $900-2,500

Aggressive: $250-400 per day × 4-6 days = $1,000-2,400 (risky for consistency)

$100K Account (Need $2,500 Total)

Conservative: $200-300 per day × 10-12 days = $2,000-3,600

Moderate: $300-500 per day × 6-8 days = $1,800-4,000

Aggressive: $500-700 per day × 4-5 days = $2,000-3,500 (watch consistency)

$150K Account (Need $3,750 Total)

Conservative: $300-400 per day × 10-15 days = $3,000-6,000

Moderate: $400-600 per day × 7-10 days = $2,800-6,000

Aggressive: $600-900 per day × 5-7 days = $3,000-6,300 (high consistency risk)

My recommendation: Start conservative. If you hit your conservative daily target consistently, you can ramp up aggression in the second half of your evaluation once you have buffer.

Advanced Profit Target Strategies

Strategy 1: The 60/40 Split

Hit 60% of your profit target in the first half of your planned timeline, then coast to finish with smaller, safer trades.

Example on $100K account (need $2,500):

Days 1-5: Hit $1,500 (60%)
Days 6-10: Hit remaining $1,000+ (40%)

Why this works: You have momentum and buffer early. The second half is lower pressure — you can take fewer trades, be more selective, avoid forcing anything.

I use this on every evaluation now. It removes the stress of "I'm on Day 8 and only at $1,200."

Strategy 2: The Consistent Grind

Make the same amount every day or every other day. No big swings, no heroics.

Example on $100K account:

Day 1: +$350
Day 3: +$340
Day 5: +$380
Day 7: +$370
Day 9: +$360
Day 11: +$370
Day 13: +$330

Total: $2,500. Best day was $380 (15% of total). Pass with huge consistency margin.

Who this works for: Consistent traders with solid win rates. If you win 60-65% of your trades and your average winner is 1.5× your average loser, this strategy is perfect.

Strategy 3: The Power Week

Go aggressive for one week when conditions are ideal (strong trending market, high volatility, your strategy setup repeating), then back off.

Example on $150K account (need $3,750):

Week 1 (5 trading days): Make $2,800
Week 2 (5 trading days): Make $1,200
Total: $4,000 in 10 days

Risk: You might hit consistency issues if Week 1 has one monster day. Mitigate by spreading gains across all 5 days (aim for $500-600 each day, not $1,500 on one day and $300 on others).

I used this strategy on my fastest $100K pass (7 days). Caught a great trending week in NQ, made $2,700 total, done. But I got lucky with market conditions — don't count on this.

Strategy 4: The Scaled Entry

Start small, increase size as you build profit buffer.

Example on $100K account:

Days 1-3: Trade 5 MES (half your position limit capacity), build $800 profit
Days 4-7: Trade 1 ES (now you have buffer), make $1,200 more
Days 8-10: Trade 1-2 ES as needed, finish final $500+

Why this works: You minimize risk early when you have no buffer. Once you're up $800, you have $800 of "house money" and can trade more aggressively without fear of blowing the eval.

This is the strategy I recommend to new traders or anyone who failed multiple evals. Build confidence first, then scale up.

Common Profit Target Mistakes

Here are the errors that kill evaluations or delay passing:

Mistake #1: Hitting Target Too Fast and Violating Consistency

You make $2,600 in 4 days on a $100K account. Great! Except Day 2 was $1,100 of that. Now you're at 42% on Day 2. Failed.

Fix: If you're hitting target fast, make sure profits are distributed evenly. Don't have one huge day early unless you're willing to make way more total profit to dilute that percentage.

Mistake #2: Not Going Over Target Enough

You hit exactly $2,503 on a $100K account. You have 4 trading days completed (need 5). You take one more trade the next day to satisfy the 5-day minimum. That trade loses $50. You're now at $2,453. Still pass, but you cut it close.

Fix: Always aim for 8-12% over target. Gives you cushion for final days if you need to trade more to hit 5-day minimum or other objectives.

Mistake #3: Trading Scared After Hitting Target

You hit $2,600 on Day 8. You have 4 trading days (need 5). You stop trading for three days because you're afraid of losing your progress.

Fix: You're not done until you satisfy ALL objectives. Take one more clean trade on Day 11 or 12 to hit your 5-day minimum. Just trade smaller size if you're nervous.

Mistake #4: Ignoring Drawdown While Chasing Profit Target

You're at $2,200 profit but also at $2,400 drawdown from your peak. You keep trading aggressively to hit $2,500. One bad trade and you hit max drawdown ($3,000) and fail.

Fix: Track both profit and drawdown simultaneously. If you're close to max drawdown, slow down or take a break even if you haven't hit profit target yet. Better to take 5 extra days than blow the account.

Mistake #5: Letting Unrealized Profit Trick You

You think you're at $2,550 because you have an open position with $300 unrealized. You request evaluation review. TradeDay checks your closed balance: $2,250. Below target, evaluation denied.

Fix: Close all positions before calculating if you've hit target. Only closed profit counts.

For common drawdown mistakes that often co-occur with profit target issues, see the drawdown mistakes guide.

How to Track Your Progress Toward Target

I keep a simple spreadsheet with these columns:

Date: When I traded
Trades Taken: Number of positions
P/L: Daily profit/loss
Cumulative P/L: Running total
Best Day So Far: Tracking for consistency
Best Day %: Best day ÷ cumulative P/L
Trading Days: Count toward 5-day minimum
Drawdown from Peak: Tracking risk

Example after 5 days:

DateTradesP/LCumulativeBest DayBest Day %DaysDrawdownJan 63+$420$420$420100%1$0Jan 82+$310$730$42058%2$0Jan 104+$520$1,250$52042%3$0Jan 122-$180$1,070$52049%4$180Jan 143+$640$1,710$64037%5$0

At this point I'm at $1,710 profit (need $2,500), 5 trading days (minimum satisfied), best day is 37% (under 30% limit but getting close). I need another $800+ profit and I need to make sure no single day exceeds $513 going forward (to keep best day under 30%).

This spreadsheet takes 60 seconds to update after each session and saves hours of stress wondering "where am I at?"

Product Selection to Hit Profit Targets Efficiently

Some products make it easier to hit profit targets than others.

Fast movers (quick profits possible):

NQ (Nasdaq futures) during tech earnings or FOMC days
CL (crude oil) during OPEC meetings or geopolitical events
ES during volatile market sessions

Consistent grinders (steady profits):

ES during normal conditions
MES if you're trading higher frequency
GC (gold) when trending

Slow movers (requires patience):

YM (Dow) due to small point value
Agricultural futures during off-season

I made $2,700 in 7 days on NQ during a strong trending week. I made $2,540 in 23 days on ES during choppy sideways markets. The product and conditions matter.

For complete details on what products you can trade and which work best for different strategies, see the TradeDay permitted products guide.

Profit Target Comparison Table: All Account Sizes

Here's everything in one place:

Account Size	Profit Target	% of Balance	Recommended Daily Target	Realistic Timeline	Position Limits
$50K	$1,500	3.0%	$100-200	10-15 trading days	1 standard / 10 micros
$100K	$2,500	2.5%	$200-400	8-12 trading days	2 standard / 20 micros
$150K	$3,750	2.5%	$300-500	10-15 trading days	3 standard / 30 micros

Use this table to plan your evaluation strategy before you start trading.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I hit my profit target but haven't completed 5 trading days?

You need to keep trading until you satisfy all five objectives. Hit your profit target, then take conservative trades on additional days to complete your 5-day minimum. Just trade smaller size to minimize risk.

Can my profit target change mid-evaluation?

No. Your profit target is set when you start based on your account size. It stays the same throughout the evaluation.

What if I go way over my profit target — is there a maximum?

No maximum. You can make $5,000 on a $100K account if you want. TradeDay doesn't care. Just make sure you don't violate consistency or other rules while doing it.

Do I get credit for profit I made then lost?

No. Profit is calculated as current balance minus starting balance. If you made $3,000 then lost it all, you're at $0 profit. Only your net closed balance matters.

How does the profit target work on funded accounts?

There's no profit target once you're funded. You can make $10,000 one month and $200 the next. TradeDay only requires you hit the profit target during evaluation.

Can I hit my profit target and immediately request review?

Yes, as soon as you've satisfied all five objectives (profit target, 5 trading days, consistency rule, within drawdown, no rule violations), you can request evaluation review. Don't wait.

What if I'm at $2,497 on a $100K account and my next trade loses?

You need to keep trading until you get back above $2,500. The target is cumulative — you don't need to stay above it continuously, you just need to end above it when you request review.

Does going over target affect my profit split once funded?

No. Your profit split on funded accounts (80-95% tiered) is the same regardless of how much you made during evaluation. Making $2,500 or $4,000 in your eval doesn't change your funded split.

Bottom Line: Hit Your Target Systematically

The profit target is the easiest objective to understand but not always the easiest to hit. The key is steady progress — not trying to pass in 5 days with huge trades.

My formula: