Professional traders use pivot points heavily, particularly on institutional desks and intraday futures floors.
Over 72% of professional day traders surveyed by the CME Group in 2022 reported using some form of pivot analysis, and combining pivot points with volume profile analysis increases reliability by identifying which pivots align with high-volume nodes.
While retail traders often use pivot points casually, institutional desks take a more refined approach, combining pivot levels with other tools like VWAP, order flow, or momentum indicators.
The levels work partly because so many pros watch them.