Budget Analysts
Median wage · national
$91,640
Range: $75K – $114K
Employed
47K
Openings/yr
3K
Typically: bachelor's degree
Personal Financial Advisor
Personal Financial Advisor earn $105,070 nationally at the median. The middle 50% of workers fall between $72,440 and $176,790. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and experience.
About Personal Financial Advisor
This page sets out what the federal data says about working as a personal financial advisor: what the job pays, how fast it is growing, and what it takes to get in. Most people arrive through a degree in Finance and what it leads to, though it is not the only route.
Advise clients on financial plans using knowledge of tax and investment strategies, securities, insurance, pension plans, and real estate. Duties include assessing clients' assets, liabilities, cash flow, insurance coverage, tax status, and financial objectives. May also buy and sell financial assets for clients.
- Median Wage
- $105,070
- Employed Nationally
- 267K
- Openings / Year
- 17,100
- Entry Education
- Bachelor's degree
- Job Zone
- Zone 4: Considerable Preparation
Also known as:
Account Manager
Asset Analyst
Asset Manager
Budget Counselor
Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
How Much Do Personal Financial Advisors Make?
Most personal financial advisors take home around $105,070 a year, well above what most college graduates make. Half earn somewhere between $72,440 and $176,790, so where you land depends a lot on employer, specialty and city. Worth weighing against how long the training takes. Source: BLS.
A wage on its own says nothing about whether the degree behind it pays for itself, which is a question of lifetime earnings set against the total cost of getting there.
$105,070
National Median (Annual)
Well above average for college graduates.
$72K–$177K
Middle 50% Range
25th to 75th percentile. Most workers earn within this band.
Earnings Range
$72,440
Entry-level
$105,070
Median
$176,790
Experienced
The mean wage for this occupation is $156,670, above the median. A concentration of very high earners pulls the average up. The median is the better gauge of typical pay.
What Do Personal Financial Advisors Do?
This is what the job actually looks like on a Tuesday: 5 core activities and 5 skills the work depends on. Read it before the salary, because pay matters less than whether you would want to spend your days doing this. Source: O*NET.
What You'll Do
- Interview clients to determine their current income, expenses, insurance coverage, tax status, financial objectives, risk tolerance, or other information needed to develop a financial plan.
- Analyze financial information obtained from clients to determine strategies for meeting clients' financial objectives.
- Answer clients' questions about the purposes and details of financial plans and strategies.
- Review clients' accounts and plans regularly to determine whether life changes, economic changes, environmental concerns, or financial performance indicate a need for plan reassessment.
- Manage client portfolios, keeping client plans up-to-date.
Core Skills Employers Look For
Active Listening
Reading Comprehension
Speaking
Writing
Critical Thinking
Who Thrives Here
E
Enterprising
Leadership, influence, and business acumen are rewarded here, where managing teams, driving decisions, or persuading others shapes career outcomes.
C
Conventional
Success depends on precision and structured processes, where detail-oriented people who work consistently within established systems perform best.
S
Social
Working closely with people, teaching, advising, or helping others navigate challenges is a defining feature of this career's daily work.
Where Do Personal Financial Advisors Work?
What the physical and mental conditions of this job actually look like day to day, based on O*NET Work Context data collected from people working in this occupation.
Work Setting
Mixed
Split between indoor and outdoor or field settings.
Physical Demands
Light
Mix of sitting and movement throughout the day.
Stress Level
Moderate
Moderate pressure. Regular deadlines exist but are generally manageable with experience.
What Is the Job Outlook for Personal Financial Advisors?
Through 2035 the BLS expects this field to change by +1.4%, meaning it is growing slowly, a little behind the average job. Around 17,100 roles open up each year, which is the number that matters most if you are starting out. Source: BLS.
Growth rates are only meaningful next to other occupations, and the full list of careers with their projected growth puts this one in context.
↗ +1.4%
10-Year Growth (2025–2035)
Slower than average.
17,100
Annual Openings
New positions plus replacements for retirees and career-changers.
267K
Currently Employed
Total US employment as of BLS May 2025.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025.
Where the Jobs Are
The five states below employ the most Personal Financial Advisor professionals nationwide. State-level wages can differ significantly from the $105,070 national median. Research your specific market before committing to a program.
| # | State | Jobs | Median Wage | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 32,200 | $130,330 | +24.0% |
| 2 | New York | 21,550 | $166,400 | +58.4% |
| 3 | Florida | 21,490 | $100,970 | -3.9% |
| 4 | Texas | 18,200 | $99,160 | -5.6% |
| 5 | North Carolina | 12,340 | $96,880 | -7.8% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Employment figures rounded. Read our methodology →
How to Get Here
To get hired here you will usually need a bachelor's degree. The 2 programs below are the most common routes in, ordered by how many people actually graduate from each one.
The next most common path is a Family and Consumer Economics program and the colleges offering it, which suits a different kind of applicant.
Typical Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
Job Zone
Zone 4: Considerable Preparation
These positions typically require a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience before advancing into senior roles.
Degree Programs That Lead Here
| # | Program | Graduates/yr | 4yr Median | Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | 58,013 | $83,343 | 949 |
| 2 | Family and Consumer Economics | 1,208 | $53,262 | 32 |
Top Colleges for Aspiring Personal Financial Advisors
Colleges offering the degree programs that lead to this career, ranked by UCD Score. A strong program plus solid outcomes is a good place to begin your search.
| # | College | UCD Score | Net Price | Salary 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY | 93 | $3,033 | $75,971 |
| 2 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | 93 | $6,541 | $71,588 |
| 3 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL | 91 | $14,860 | $91,885 |
| 4 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN | 90 | $15,846 | $91,565 |
| 5 | University of Central Florida Orlando, FL | 90 | $10,411 | $58,308 |
| 6 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FL | 90 | $11,297 | $61,675 |
Plan Your Path
Once you've sized up Personal Financial Advisor, these tools turn the numbers into a plan. Estimate the real cost of a degree that leads here, weigh the long-term payoff, compare specific colleges side-by-side, and find programs that match your profile.
College ROI Calculator
See if the degree that leads to Personal Financial Advisor pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings graduates see.
College Cost Calculator
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Compare Colleges
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
College Match Quiz
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
Personal Financial Advisor Pros & Cons
The data on Personal Financial Advisor shows 3 measurable strengths and 3 real trade-offs. All points are drawn from BLS wage data, employment projections, and IPEDS program completions.
PROS
- Very high median salary The national median of $105,070 places this career well above average for college graduates, with significant upside at the 75th percentile.
- High earning ceiling Top earners (75th percentile) reach $176,790 annually. Strong performers, specialists, and those in high-cost markets have significant upside beyond the median.
- Wide job market 267K professionals are employed in this field, large enough to offer geographic flexibility and multiple entry paths.
CONS
- Slow job growth At +1.4% projected growth, this career lags the national average. Limited expansion means stiffer competition for openings that do appear.
- Multi-year ramp before career-level pay This is a Job Zone 4 occupation, these positions typically require a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience before advancing into senior roles. Most workers in this field spend their first several years at entry-level pay well below the $105,070 median while building the experience employers require.
- Entry-level pay well below the national median The 25th percentile wage of $72,440 is considerably below the $105,070 median. Early-career workers typically spend 5 or more years building toward typical pay. Factor this into any program ROI calculation.
Personal Financial Advisor Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Personal Financial Advisor professionals earn?
Around $105,070 a year for the typical worker, well into the top quartile of US wages. The middle 50% of earners fall between $72,440 and $176,790. Treat the national figure as a starting point rather than a promise: employer size, industry and city all move it.
Is Personal Financial Advisor a good career?
For people genuinely interested in the work, yes. At $105,070 median, though slow job growth means most openings come from workers leaving the field rather than new positions being created. Compare program net price against local salary outcomes (not just the national median) before committing.
How long does it take to work as Personal Financial Advisors?
Expect 4 years of undergraduate education followed by 2 or more years of field experience before most employers consider you qualified for career-level positions. A bachelor's degree is the typical minimum credential. Degree programs like Finance are typical entry paths. Early-career pay during this ramp-up period will be meaningfully below the $105,070 national median. Factor that gap into any program ROI calculation.
What is the job outlook for Personal Financial Advisor?
Employment is projected to change by +1.4% through 2035, slower than average compared with other occupations. Around 17,100 roles open each year once you count people retiring and moving on, which matters more to someone starting out than the growth rate does. 267K people do this job nationwide today, so it is an established field rather than a niche one. Source: BLS May 2025.
Why do Personal Financial Advisor salaries vary so widely?
The $104,350 gap between the 25th ($72,440) and 75th ($176,790) percentile reflects how much employer type, industry, specialization, and geography affect pay. Entry-level roles and lower-demand markets cluster near the bottom; senior, specialized, or high-cost-metro positions push the top. In fields with this much spread, where you work and what you specialize in often matters more than years of experience.
What skills do Personal Financial Advisor professionals need?
Mainly Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Writing, and Critical Thinking. Notice how many of those are habits rather than facts: they come from doing the work, not from a lecture. That is why programs with an internship or co-op requirement put you ahead of people who only studied the theory. Source: O*NET.
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- Median wage
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Does a Master's Degree Pay Off? Barely, on Average
Group every career by the degree it requires and master's-level jobs pay a median of about $91,000, statistically tied with bachelor's-level work. The premium hides in a few fields.
- Master's degree
- Bachelor's degree
- Median wage
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- Career outcomes
-
Growing and Paying $80K Plus: The Careers That Do Both
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