Personal Financial Advisors
Personal Financial Advisors (SOC 13-2052) earn a median $105,070 a year ($50.51 an hour) in the United States, with 266,800 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New York.
What personal financial advisors do
Personal financial advisors give individuals and families advice on managing their money. The work begins with asking clients about what they earn and spend, what insurance they hold, how they are taxed, and what they hope to achieve, and assessing their assets and liabilities. Advisors analyze this information to build strategies in areas such as cash management, insurance coverage, and investment planning, then explain the plan and answer questions about it. They review accounts and plans regularly and adjust them as circumstances change. Some also buy and sell financial assets for clients, recommend products such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or insurance, and carry out the plan or refer clients to someone who can. Titles include financial planner and financial consultant. The occupation differs from financial managers, who direct financial operations of an organization, from financial and investment analysts, who work with institutional data rather than individual clients, and from insurance sales agents and securities sales agents, who primarily sell products. Client portfolios are managed, and client plans are kept up to date.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a bachelor's degree as the typical level of education for this occupation.
Also called: Account Manager, Asset Analyst, Asset Manager, Budget Counselor, Certified Financial Planner (CFP).
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $24.13 | $34.83 | $50.51 | $84.99 | $171.65 | $75.32 | 266,800 |
| Annual | $50,190 | $72,440 | $105,070 | $176,790 | $357,020 | $156,670 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where personal financial advisors earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $36.63 | $49.08 | $80.00 | $135.60 | $205.62 | $101.11 | 21,550 | 2.22 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $76,190 | $102,080 | $166,400 | $282,050 | $427,700 | $210,310 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $37.92 | $49.48 | $76.24 | $129.48 | $180.06 | $92.25 | 9,300 | 2.17 | 1.27 |
| Annual | $78,860 | $102,930 | $158,570 | $269,310 | $374,530 | $191,890 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $32.55 | $40.32 | $62.66 | $93.95 | $189.35 | $81.77 | 32,200 | 1.77 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $67,690 | $83,860 | $130,330 | $195,420 | $393,860 | $170,070 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $28.79 | $39.42 | $62.36 | $79.73 | $186.66 | $77.30 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $59,890 | $81,990 | $129,720 | $165,850 | $388,240 | $160,780 | ||||
| South Dakota | Hourly | $37.15 | $48.65 | $61.89 | $98.23 | $162.09 | $84.53 | 620 | 1.35 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $77,280 | $101,200 | $128,720 | $204,320 | $337,140 | $175,820 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $32.55 | $40.32 | $62.66 | $93.95 | $189.35 | $81.77 | 32,200 | 1.77 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $67,690 | $83,860 | $130,330 | $195,420 | $393,860 | $170,070 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $36.63 | $49.08 | $80.00 | $135.60 | $205.62 | $101.11 | 21,550 | 2.22 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $76,190 | $102,080 | $166,400 | $282,050 | $427,700 | $210,310 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $23.53 | $31.31 | $48.54 | $99.18 | $190.08 | $78.26 | 21,490 | 2.16 | 1.26 |
| Annual | $48,950 | $65,120 | $100,970 | $206,290 | $395,370 | $162,780 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $22.33 | $31.11 | $47.67 | $78.53 | $172.61 | $70.19 | 18,200 | 1.29 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $46,450 | $64,710 | $99,160 | $163,340 | $359,040 | $146,000 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $23.46 | $30.38 | $46.58 | $74.02 | $138.12 | $69.10 | 12,340 | 2.50 | 1.46 |
| Annual | $48,790 | $63,190 | $96,880 | $153,970 | $287,290 | $143,740 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $39.19 | $53.85 | $81.75 | $145.33 | $202.22 | $104.41 | 23,980 | 2.53 | 1.47 |
| Annual | $81,520 | $112,000 | $170,050 | $302,290 | $420,630 | $217,170 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $36.97 | $50.89 | $77.22 | $140.88 | $216.40 | $103.05 | 7,130 | 3.00 | 1.75 |
| Annual | $76,900 | $105,850 | $160,610 | $293,030 | $450,120 | $214,350 | ||||
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | Hourly | $23.17 | $28.85 | $76.92 | $76.92 | $77.39 | $58.31 | 100 | 1.55 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $48,190 | $60,010 | $159,990 | $159,990 | $160,980 | $121,290 | ||||
| Springfield, IL | Hourly | $29.46 | $40.54 | $74.22 | $111.90 | $193.09 | $89.17 | 100 | 1.02 | 0.59 |
| Annual | $61,270 | $84,330 | $154,370 | $232,750 | $401,620 | $185,470 | ||||
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | Hourly | $27.55 | $41.34 | $69.80 | $92.55 | $170.57 | $76.84 | 40 | 0.68 | 0.39 |
| Annual | $57,300 | $85,980 | $145,190 | $192,510 | $354,780 | $159,840 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $39.19 | $53.85 | $81.75 | $145.33 | $202.22 | $104.41 | 23,980 | 2.53 | 1.47 |
| Annual | $81,520 | $112,000 | $170,050 | $302,290 | $420,630 | $217,170 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $32.55 | $37.43 | $59.85 | $86.06 | $137.06 | $72.62 | 13,980 | 2.23 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $67,690 | $77,860 | $124,490 | $179,000 | $285,090 | $151,050 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $23.88 | $35.99 | $60.42 | $108.73 | $205.36 | $85.34 | 8,390 | 2.98 | 1.73 |
| Annual | $49,670 | $74,850 | $125,670 | $226,170 | $427,160 | $177,500 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $24.54 | $34.25 | $54.43 | $83.29 | $155.02 | $75.14 | 8,370 | 1.86 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $51,050 | $71,240 | $113,210 | $173,240 | $322,440 | $156,300 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $29.82 | $37.87 | $56.04 | $85.02 | $188.59 | $81.66 | 7,390 | 2.55 | 1.49 |
| Annual | $62,020 | $78,770 | $116,560 | $176,850 | $392,260 | $169,850 | ||||
Top industries employing personal financial advisors
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities employ 72.0% of personal financial advisors nationally (192,160 jobs) at a median $120,870 a year ($58.11 an hour), followed by Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) (16.8%) and Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (2.4%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities NAICS 523000 | 192,160 | 72.0% | $120,870 | $58.11 |
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) NAICS 5220A1 | 44,920 | 16.8% | $95,720 | $46.02 |
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities NAICS 524200 | 6,460 | 2.4% | $83,830 | $40.30 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 4,680 | 1.8% | $95,570 | $45.95 |
| Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services NAICS 541200 | 4,110 | 1.5% | $96,850 | $46.56 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (266,800). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $94,170 for personal financial advisors in May 2021 and $105,070 in May 2025, with employment of 263,030 and 266,800.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $94,170 | $45.27 | 263,030 |
| May 2022 | $95,390 | $45.86 | 283,060 |
| May 2023 | $99,580 | $47.88 | 272,190 |
| May 2024 | $102,140 | $49.11 | 270,480 |
| May 2025 | $105,070 | $50.51 | 266,800 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York profile | $80.00 | $166,400 | $76,190 | $427,700 | 21,550 | 2.22 | 1.30 |
| 2 | New Jersey profile | $76.24 | $158,570 | $78,860 | $374,530 | 9,300 | 2.17 | 1.27 |
| 3 | California profile | $62.66 | $130,330 | $67,690 | $393,860 | 32,200 | 1.77 | 1.03 |
| 4 | Connecticut profile | $62.36 | $129,720 | $59,890 | $388,240 | ** | ** | ** |
| 5 | South Dakota profile | $61.89 | $128,720 | $77,280 | $337,140 | 620 | 1.35 | 0.79 |
| 6 | Massachusetts profile | $60.42 | $125,670 | $58,510 | $478,850 | ** | ** | ** |
| 7 | Delaware profile | $60.12 | $125,050 | $44,340 | $218,710 | ** | ** | ** |
| 8 | Oregon profile | $59.05 | $122,830 | $54,940 | $459,050 | 3,070 | 1.56 | 0.91 |
| 9 | Illinois profile | $57.75 | $120,130 | $51,820 | $328,650 | 9,760 | 1.60 | 0.93 |
| 10 | Wisconsin profile | $57.42 | $119,430 | $51,760 | $401,510 | 5,200 | 1.77 | 1.03 |
| 11 | Washington profile | $54.83 | $114,050 | $58,650 | $344,850 | 5,790 | 1.63 | 0.95 |
| 12 | Vermont profile | $52.89 | $110,020 | $58,150 | $241,610 | 520 | 1.73 | 1.01 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania profile | $50.58 | $105,200 | $59,960 | $392,900 | 12,200 | 2.01 | 1.17 |
| 14 | District of Columbia profile | $50.48 | $104,990 | $58,790 | $370,880 | 480 | 0.69 | 0.40 |
| 15 | Minnesota profile | $49.36 | $102,660 | $47,520 | $310,730 | 5,280 | 1.79 | 1.04 |
| 16 | Virginia profile | $49.35 | $102,640 | $51,440 | $420,980 | 6,340 | 1.54 | 0.90 |
| 17 | Kansas profile | $49.29 | $102,530 | $56,830 | $318,200 | 4,150 | 2.89 | 1.68 |
| 18 | Georgia profile | $48.78 | $101,450 | $46,180 | $367,640 | 6,830 | 1.40 | 0.81 |
| 19 | Florida profile | $48.54 | $100,970 | $48,950 | $395,370 | 21,490 | 2.16 | 1.26 |
| 20 | Missouri profile | $48.04 | $99,930 | $51,470 | $313,230 | 4,480 | 1.53 | 0.89 |
| 21 | Maryland profile | $48.02 | $99,880 | $47,810 | $378,060 | 5,260 | 1.90 | 1.11 |
| 22 | Texas profile | $47.67 | $99,160 | $46,450 | $359,040 | 18,200 | 1.29 | 0.75 |
| 23 | Montana profile | $46.85 | $97,450 | $55,010 | $241,240 | ** | ** | ** |
| 24 | Arizona profile | $46.61 | $96,950 | $45,330 | $212,630 | 6,430 | 1.98 | 1.16 |
| 25 | North Carolina profile | $46.58 | $96,880 | $48,790 | $287,290 | 12,340 | 2.50 | 1.46 |
| 26 | New Hampshire profile | $46.53 | $96,780 | $57,700 | $311,810 | 1,850 | 2.70 | 1.57 |
| 27 | South Carolina profile | $46.31 | $96,330 | $45,420 | $250,180 | 2,400 | 1.04 | 0.61 |
| 28 | Idaho profile | $45.37 | $94,370 | $44,500 | $252,340 | 760 | 0.88 | 0.51 |
| 29 | New Mexico profile | $45.32 | $94,270 | $56,450 | $403,970 | 610 | 0.70 | 0.41 |
| 30 | Nebraska profile | $44.85 | $93,280 | $52,370 | $214,280 | 2,210 | 2.16 | 1.26 |
| 31 | Nevada profile | $44.58 | $92,720 | $45,050 | $224,670 | 1,730 | 1.12 | 0.65 |
| 32 | Iowa profile | $44.38 | $92,310 | $51,310 | $268,860 | 1,920 | 1.23 | 0.72 |
| 33 | Ohio profile | $43.75 | $90,990 | $49,400 | $222,060 | 7,680 | 1.38 | 0.81 |
| 34 | Colorado profile | $42.92 | $89,280 | $57,020 | $269,500 | 6,730 | 2.34 | 1.36 |
| 35 | Indiana profile | $42.17 | $87,710 | $44,150 | $319,330 | 5,400 | 1.69 | 0.98 |
| 36 | Tennessee profile | $40.46 | $84,160 | $44,170 | $406,200 | 3,970 | 1.21 | 0.71 |
| 37 | Rhode Island profile | $38.56 | $80,200 | $46,670 | $164,230 | 1,130 | 2.26 | 1.31 |
| 38 | West Virginia profile | $38.47 | $80,010 | $45,020 | $219,510 | 670 | 0.96 | 0.56 |
| 39 | Arkansas profile | $38.18 | $79,420 | $36,710 | $207,560 | 1,320 | 1.01 | 0.59 |
| 40 | Alaska profile | $37.83 | $78,690 | $50,790 | $156,830 | ** | ** | ** |
| 41 | Alabama profile | $37.50 | $77,990 | $42,150 | $342,030 | 2,540 | 1.20 | 0.70 |
| 42 | Michigan profile | $37.47 | $77,930 | $44,780 | $288,860 | 6,570 | 1.49 | 0.87 |
| 43 | Wyoming profile | $37.26 | $77,490 | $50,390 | $330,360 | 310 | 1.12 | 0.65 |
| 44 | Utah profile | $37.21 | $77,390 | $47,840 | $208,970 | 2,520 | 1.45 | 0.85 |
| 45 | North Dakota profile | $36.96 | $76,870 | $59,470 | $135,470 | 540 | 1.26 | 0.73 |
| 46 | Hawaii profile | $36.57 | $76,070 | $48,060 | $314,250 | 550 | 0.87 | 0.51 |
| 47 | Oklahoma profile | $33.02 | $68,670 | $36,920 | $176,920 | 1,140 | 0.67 | 0.39 |
| 48 | Kentucky profile | $32.29 | $67,150 | $43,880 | $281,230 | 2,040 | 1.02 | 0.60 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $30.43 | $63,300 | $43,880 | $312,580 | 790 | 0.68 | 0.40 |
| – | Louisiana profile | * | * | * | * | 1,470 | 0.76 | 0.44 |
| – | Maine profile | * | * | * | * | 850 | 1.33 | 0.78 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (13-2050), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Business and Financial Operations Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 13-2052 Personal Financial Advisors.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 13-2052, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 13-2052.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.