Financial Advisor Salary, Skills & Requirements (2026)
Advertised pay, starting pay, skills and experience from 9,010 US job postings by 689 employers. Data as of October 2026.
What US employers post for financial advisors: advertised pay, the skills and experience they ask for, and the job titles they use, from 9,010 open job postings (October 2026).
- The median advertised pay for financial advisors in US job postings is $98,000 a year (2,531 postings from 262 employers, October 2026).
- The middle half of those postings offer $75,000 to $144,000.
- The skills that most set financial advisor postings apart are financial planning, wealth management, estate planning.
- Postings that state a minimum ask for a median of 3 years of experience.
Financial Advisor job postings in the US, October 2026
- $98,000
- Median advertised pay (2,531 postings)
- $75,000–$144,000
- Middle 50% of postings
- 9,010
- US job postings from 689 employers
- 3 years
- Median experience asked
How much does a financial advisor make?
The median advertised pay is $98,000 a year, from 2,531 US job postings by 262 employers that state pay. One in ten postings offers $198,000 or more.
Advertised pay in 2,531 US financial advisor job postings: median $98,000 a year, middle half $75,000 to $144,000.
- Median: $98,000
- 25th percentile: $75,000
- 75th percentile: $144,000
The figures as a table
| Annual pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| $20K–$30K | 1.1% |
| $30K–$40K | 0.6% |
| $40K–$50K | 2.0% |
| $50K–$60K | 4.5% |
| $60K–$70K | 6.4% |
| $70K–$80K | 14.9% |
| $80K–$90K | 8.8% |
| $90K–$100K | 12.8% |
| $100K–$110K | 8.2% |
| $110K–$120K | 6.0% |
| $120K–$130K | 3.5% |
| $130K–$140K | 3.5% |
| $140K–$150K | 4.7% |
| $150K–$160K | 2.9% |
| $160K–$170K | 1.7% |
| $170K–$180K | 5.3% |
| $180K–$190K | 1.4% |
| $190K–$200K | 2.3% |
| $200K–$210K | 2.6% |
| $210K–$220K | 1.9% |
| $220K–$230K | 1.4% |
| $230K–$240K | 0.7% |
| $240K–$250K | 0.1% |
| $250K–$260K | 0.8% |
| $320K–$330K | 0.5% |
| $340K–$350K | 0.1% |
| $350K–$360K | 0.6% |
Midpoint of each posting's pay range, hourly pay × 2,080 hours; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
| Median | Middle 50% | Postings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postings that state an annual salary | $100,000 | $75K–$144K | 1,002 |
| All pay postings, annualised | $98,000 | $75K–$144K | 2,531 |
For comparison, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the national median annual wage of Personal Financial Advisors (13-2052) at $105,000 (May 2025). Postings advertise pay; the BLS measures what people earn, across all employers and levels.
What is the starting salary for a financial advisor?
Figure withheld: fewer than 250 US postings list pay. How we decide.
Financial advisor levels and pay
Levels as they appear in job titles, ordered by the median experience asked.
| Level in title | Share of postings | Median experience asked | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| No level in title | 93.8% | 3 years | $98,000 |
| Senior | 2.6% | 5 years | – |
Highest-paying financial advisor jobs
Specializations with at least 250 postings that state pay.
| Specialization | Median pay | Postings with pay | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wealth Advisor | $120,000 | 465 | 88 |
| Financial Advisor (general) | $90,000 | 1,713 | 158 |
Financial advisor pay by state
Single-location US postings; states with at least 100 postings that state pay. States with pay-transparency laws (such as California, Colorado, New York and Washington) are over-represented among postings that state pay.
| State | Median pay | Middle 50% | Postings with pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $99,000 | $85,000–$137,000 | 195 | 8.3% |
| Illinois | $90,000 | $74,000–$101,000 | 138 | 5.1% |
Skills employers ask for in financial advisor job postings
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 38% |
| Interpersonal skills | 23% |
| Analytical skills | 16% |
| Excel | 16% |
| Organizational skills | 15% |
| Financial planning | 14% |
| Attention to detail | 14% |
| Problem-solving | 13% |
| Microsoft Office | 13% |
| Word | 9% |
Skills named in the posting text; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026. Methodology.
Skills that set financial advisors apart
- Financial planning152× as often as in all postings · 14%
- Wealth management194× as often as in all postings · 9%
- Estate planning232.2× as often as in all postings · 5%
- Business development13.2× as often as in all postings · 6%
- Sales8.1× as often as in all postings · 7%
- Presentation skills3.4× as often as in all postings · 5%
Skills named in at least 5% of these postings and at least 3 times as often as in job postings overall.
Have a financial advisor job posting in front of you? See which of its skills your resume is missing.
What does a financial advisor do?
Employers post these jobs as Wealth Advisor, Financial Planner, Financial Consultant, Trust Officer, Financial Professional and other titles. The largest specializations are Wealth Advisor (13%), Trust Officer (2%), Investment Advisor (8%), Retirement Plan Specialist (1%), Wealth Relationship Manager (2%).
The closest official occupation is Personal Financial Advisors (13-2052.00). Its most important 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.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
How much experience do you need to be a financial advisor?
Among 1,379 postings that state a minimum, the median is 3 years. Under 1% say 0 years and 10% ask for 1 year or less.
Minimum experience asked in 1,379 US financial advisor job postings: median 3 years, and 10% ask for 1 year or less.
The figures as a table
| Minimum experience asked | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| 0 yr | under 1% |
| 1 yr | 10% |
| 2 yrs | 20% |
| 3-4 yrs | 28% |
| 5-7 yrs | 28% |
| 8-9 yrs | 3% |
| 10+ yrs | 10% |
Postings that state a minimum (required or preferred); at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
We do not show a degree figure: in our checks, degree requirements in posting text were found too rarely to publish one. Why.
Full-time 83%, Part-time 17% of the 304 postings that state working hours.
Other names for a financial advisor: job titles employers use
| Job title | Employers using it |
|---|---|
| Financial Advisor | 229 (33.2%) |
| Wealth Advisor | 87 (12.6%) |
| Financial Planner | 65 (9.4%) |
| Financial Consultant | 55 (8.0%) |
| Trust Officer | 45 (6.5%) |
| Financial Professional | 38 (5.5%) |
| Financial Representative | 29 (4.2%) |
| Associate Financial Advisor | 28 (4.1%) |
| Senior Wealth Advisor | 21 (3.0%) |
| Private Banker | 20 (2.9%) |
| Wealth Management Advisor | 20 (2.9%) |
| Investment Advisor | 19 (2.8%) |
| Wealth Strategist | 18 (2.6%) |
| Wealth Planner | 18 (2.6%) |
| Senior Financial Advisor | 17 (2.5%) |
| Private Wealth Advisor | 16 (2.3%) |
| Senior Financial Planner | 15 (2.2%) |
| Financial Representative Entry Level | 15 (2.2%) |
| Trust Administrator | 15 (2.2%) |
| Associate Wealth Advisor | 15 (2.2%) |
Titles read in our audit and used by at least 3 employers.
Financial advisor job titles compared
The titles people search for most, from the US job postings that use each exact title (October 2026).
| Job title | Open postings | Employers | Median pay | Median experience | Skills named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wealth Advisor | 346 | 87 | – | – | financial planning, communication, Microsoft Office |
Financial Advisor vs Wealth Advisor
| Financial Advisor | Wealth Advisor | |
|---|---|---|
| Open US postings | 3,116 | 346 |
| Employers | 229 | 87 |
| Median advertised pay | $90K | – |
| Median experience asked | 3 years | – |
| Skills that stand out | self-motivated, business development | financial planning, attention to detail, Microsoft Office |
Financial Advisor compared with similar careers
| Career | Median pay | Median experience | Postings | Shares N of top 25 skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Advisor | $98K | 3 years | 9,010 | – |
| Loan Officer | $102K | 3 years | 4,867 | 18 |
| Business Development Manager | $142K | 5 years | 8,151 | 20 |
| Sales Representative | $80K | 2 years | 44,989 | 18 |
| Account Manager | $118K | 3 years | 24,657 | 19 |
Similar careers
| Career | Shares N of the top 25 skills | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Loan Officer | 18 | $102K |
| Business Development Manager | 20 | $142K |
| Sales Representative | 18 | $80K |
| Account Manager | 19 | $118K |
| Sales Manager | 19 | $120K |
| Fundraiser | 17 | $90K |
Applying for financial advisor jobs?
- Financial advisor resume examples: one-page examples for these roles
- Match your resume to a job: paste a posting and see the skills your resume is missing
- Check your resume: see how an applicant tracking system reads it
- Find financial advisor jobs: search open postings
Frequently asked questions
How much does a financial advisor make?
Source and method
Open US job postings collected from employers' applicant tracking systems, de-duplicated, counted only when their job title was read in our audit. Shares count at most 20 postings per employer, and franchise locations of one brand count as one employer. Pay uses hourly and annual figures only; a figure is shown when leaving out the largest employer moves it by 10% or less. Every figure states its number of postings. Methodology and measured accuracy.
Accuracy check: we read 20 randomly chosen postings counted on this page in full; 18 of them were this career or a closely related one (October 2026).
Download the figures on this page (CSV): every number above with its count of postings. Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.