Personal Financial Advisors Career, Salary and Skills
Personal Financial Advisors have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $105,070 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 266,800. Wage data is published for 369 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
13-2052.00
Job zone
4
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$105,070
Hourly median
$50.51
Employment
266,800
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.12 | 4.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.12 | 4.00 |
| Speaking | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Writing | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.75 | 4.12 |
| Mathematics | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Service Orientation | 3.62 | 3.88 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.62 | 3.88 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Recommend to clients strategies in cash management, insurance coverage, investment planning, or other areas to help them achieve their financial goals.
- Recommend financial products, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or insurance.
- Explain to clients the personal financial advisor's responsibilities and the types of services to be provided.
Technology
- ACT! ACT4Advisors
- Advent Axys
- AdviceAmerica AdvisorVision
- Advisory World ICE
- ASI Client Acquisition Solution
- Asset allocation software
- Automatic Data Processing ProxyEdge
- Brentmark Stock Option Risk Analyzer
- Cabinet NG CNG-SAFE
- Cheshire Financial Planning Suite
- ComplianceMAX
- Corel QuattroPro
- Cygnus IncomeMax
- DataViz Beyond Contacts
Personal Financial Advisors salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Personal Financial Advisors Salary in CAMedian $130,330 · Employment 32,200
- Personal Financial Advisors Salary in New York, NYMedian $170,050 · Employment 23,980
- Personal Financial Advisors Salary in NYMedian $166,400 · Employment 21,550
- Personal Financial Advisors Salary in FLMedian $100,970 · Employment 21,490
- Personal Financial Advisors Salary in TXMedian $99,160 · Employment 18,200
- Personal Financial Advisors Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $124,490 · Employment 13,980
- Personal Financial Advisors Salary in NCMedian $96,880 · Employment 12,340
- Personal Financial Advisors Salary in PAMedian $105,200 · Employment 12,200
- Personal Financial Advisors Salary in ILMedian $120,130 · Employment 9,760
- Personal Financial Advisors Salary in NJMedian $158,570 · Employment 9,300
- Personal Financial Advisors Salary in Miami, FLMedian $125,670 · Employment 8,390
- Personal Financial Advisors Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $113,210 · Employment 8,370
Related careers
- Budget AnalystsNational median $91,640
- Management AnalystsNational median $101,860
- Treasurers and ControllersNational median $166,570
- Loan Interviewers and ClerksNational median $50,020
- New Accounts ClerksNational median $47,670
- Brokerage ClerksNational median $65,750
- Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and ClerksNational median $50,080
- Tax PreparersNational median $54,920
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.