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Personal Financial Advisor

$105,070
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Help people plan their finances, from budgeting and saving to investing and retirement.

Where you work

Offices, client meetings, or remote; steady contact with clients.

The hours

Full-time; evenings and weekends to meet clients.

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$105,070
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~24,100
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+10%
Much faster than average
Working in the U.S.
coming soon

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: Degree plus licenses (Series 65).

License or certification

Selling investments or insurance requires passing licensing exams.

What it takes

CommunicationAnalytical thinkingSales abilityIntegrity

The honest take

Helping people manage money pays well — and the field needs advisors who look like their clients.

Standard Occupational Classification 13-2052. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.