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Personal Financial Advisors Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 13-2052 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary
$105,061
$50.51/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Personal Financial Advisors salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$50K
P25$72K
P50$105K
P75$177K
P90$357K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
⚡
Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- finance & insurance openings are at 4.3% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in financial activities are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $105,061 to $176,779 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Personal Financial Advisors pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 2.9% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, roughly in line with the 3.1% wage growth of Finance & Insurance (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · MODERATE

Finance & Insurance is running a 4.3% job-openings rate with quits at 0.9% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted down from 6.1% to 4.3% over the past quarter.

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 7.1 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.

What changed recently
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings whipsawed up to 4.3%, but quits fell to 0.9%, the lowest of any sector. Workers are staying put.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.1% per year, a sharp slowdown from 4.1% the prior quarter.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Personal Financial Advisors is $105,061 per year ($50.51/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $72,446 and $176,779 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $357,032 per year. There are approximately 266,800 personal financial advisors employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

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.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+9.6%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
24K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
326K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
13% from new growth87% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities
NAICS 523000
192K$120,870
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only)
NAICS 5220A1
45K$95,720
Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities
NAICS 524200
6K$83,830
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
5K$95,570
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services
NAICS 541200
4K$96,850
Wage range across top 5 industries: $83,830 to $120,870 (44% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salary
P10$24.13$50,190
P25$34.83$72,446
P50MEDIAN$50.51$105,061
P75$84.99$176,779
P90$171.65$357,032

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · finance sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.3%
Quits Rate
0.9%

Finance and Insurance openings rebounded 43K to 303K in June, rate up from 3.7% to 4.3% -- a volatile series this year. Quits fell to 0.9%, the lowest of any major sector, so workers are staying put and wage pressure stays muted despite the openings pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average personal financial advisors salary?

The national median salary for Personal Financial Advisors is $105,061 per year ($50.51/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $72,446 and $176,779 annually.

How much do top-earning personal financial advisors make?

The 90th percentile salary for Personal Financial Advisors is $357,032 per year ($171.65/hr). The 75th percentile is $176,779 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for personal financial advisors?

Entry-level Personal Financial Advisors (10th percentile) earn approximately $50,190 per year ($24.13/hr). The 25th percentile is $72,446 per year.

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Personal Financial Advisors Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment
California32,200 workersNew York21,550 workersFlorida21,490 workersTexas18,200 workersNorth Carolina12,340 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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