Personal Financial Advisors
Personal financial advisors provide advice to help individuals manage their money and plan for their financial future.
Is personal financial advisors a good career?
It scores 36/100 and ranks #92 of 825 occupations on pay, growth, employment and openings. Here's what the federal data says, with no editorializing.
Advantages
- Pays well above the U.S. median wage ($105,070 vs $61,390)
- Faster-than-average projected growth (+9.6% through 2034)
- High volume of openings — about 24,100 a year
Possible tradeoffs
- Typically requires a bachelor's degree
What personal financial advisors earn
Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. personal financial advisors earn between $72,440 and $176,790 a year.
Best-paying states
Best-paying metros
Strongest employment concentration
Live personal financial advisors jobs
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- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
- Outlook
- Employment is projected to grow much faster than average through 2034.
Education
Personal financial advisors typically need a bachelor’s degree, although employers usually do not require a specific course of study. However, common fields of degree include business, social science, or mathematics. Courses in investments, taxes, estate planning, and risk management may be helpful.
Training
After they are hired, personal financial advisors typically need on-the-job training to attain competency. During this time, new advisors work under the supervision of senior advisors and learn how to build a client network, develop investment portfolios, and perform other duties. This training usually lasts for more than a year.
Licenses, certifications & registrations
Personal financial advisors who directly buy or sell stocks, bonds, or insurance policies, or who provide specific investment advice, may need a combination of licenses that varies with the products they sell. In addition to being required to have those licenses, advisors in small firms that manage clients’ investments must be registered with state regulators, and those in large firms must be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Certifications may enhance a personal financial advisor’s reputation and help bring in new clients.
Advancement
A master’s degree in a field such as finance or business administration may improve a personal financial advisor’s chances of becoming a financial manager and of attracting new clients.
Important qualities
Analytical skills. In determining an investment portfolio for a client, personal financial advisors must be able to assess a range of information, including economic trends, regulatory changes, and the client’s comfort with risky decisions.
Interpersonal skills. A major part of a personal financial advisor’s job is making clients feel comfortable. Advisors must establish trust with clients and respond well to their questions and concerns.
Math skills. Personal financial advisors must be adept at working with numbers to determine the amount invested, how that amount has grown or decreased over time, and how a portfolio is distributed among different investments.
Sales skills. To expand their base of clients, personal financial advisors must be convincing and persistent in selling their services.
Speaking skills. Personal financial advisors interact with clients every day. They must explain complex financial concepts in a way that clients understand.
Related occupations
How much do personal financial advisors make?
The national median wage is $105,070 a year, with the middle half earning between $72,440 and $176,790 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Is personal financial advisors a good career?
On the Jobs.best index it scores 36 of 100 and ranks #92 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change +9.6% through 2034.
What education do you need to become a personal financial advisor?
The typical entry-level education is bachelor's degree.
Where do personal financial advisors earn the most?
Among states, New York pays the highest median ($166,400). Local pay for every state and metro is below.