Have you ever wondered what the oddest job on Wall Street is? I just discovered that one of the most exclusive jobs on Wall Street belongs to a group of roughly three dozen people who spend their days sniffing coffee!

It turns out, Wall Street has a job for roasting nerds, sip critics, and bean whisperers.

Most of the testers are people in the coffee business, some are traders, and some are retirees who decided retirement wasn’t stimulating enough. They gather in a small room on the 8th floor testing coffee products. Their ratings help set the US futures markets and, in turn, the global economy.

What also surprised me is that recruiting for the position is a challenge. Candidates must pass a rigorous three-part exam that gets administered about once every five years. Only 5–8% of candidates ever pass the qualifying test – and the next generation doesn’t seem to be interested in applying. For them, coffee is a quick buzz and not necessarily worth the contemplation.

So the next time you grab your coffee without a second thought — know that someone, somewhere, thought about it hard on your behalf — one sniff at a time.

With fresh appreciation for my morning coffee,
Barbara

May 17th, 2026

Source: 
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/wall-street-has-an-elite-coffee-tasting-force-its-struggling-to-find-recruits-feb223cc

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