Financial advisor earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level financial advisor earnings begin at:

$129.26 per hour

$268,860 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level financial advisor earnings begin at:

$71.29 per hour

$148,290 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level financial advisor earnings begin at:

$44.38 per hour

$92,310 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level financial advisor earnings begin at:

$33.74 per hour

$70,190 per year

10th percentile

Starting level financial advisor earnings begin at:

$24.67 per hour

$51,310 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Financial advisor salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Missouri $99,930
Maryland $99,880
Texas $99,160
Montana $97,450
Arizona $96,950
North Carolina $96,880
New Hampshire $96,780
South Carolina $96,330
Idaho $94,370
New Mexico $94,270
Nebraska $93,280
Nevada $92,720
Iowa $92,310
Ohio $90,990
Colorado $89,280
Indiana $87,710
Tennessee $84,160
Rhode Island $80,200
West Virginia $80,010
Arkansas $79,420
Alaska $78,690
Alabama $77,990
Michigan $77,930
Wyoming $77,490
Utah $77,390
North Dakota $76,870
Hawaii $76,070
Oklahoma $68,670
Louisiana $67,750
Kentucky $67,150
Mississippi $63,300
Puerto Rico $47,060
New York $166,400
New Jersey $158,570
California $130,330
Connecticut $129,720
South Dakota $128,720
Massachusetts $125,670
Delaware $125,050
Oregon $122,830
Illinois $120,130
Wisconsin $119,430
Washington $114,050
Vermont $110,020
Pennsylvania $105,200
District of Columbia $104,990
Minnesota $102,660
Virginia $102,640
Kansas $102,530
Maine $101,550
Georgia $101,450
Florida $100,970

How much does a Financial Advisor earn?

“In the wake of the recession, people are looking for guidance on how to build financial security after depleting short-term savings, tapping into retirement funds and losing home equity,’’ says Jennifer Grasz of Careerbuilder.com. “We see more demand for financial advisors.”

Salaries for financial advisors vary with experience. The trainee stage for most financial advisers lasts up to three years, as they establish a set of regular clients and start earning commissions. Eventually, brokerage firms tend to stop paying advisers a base salary. An entry-level financial advisor earns 17% below average, a mid-career financial advisor earns 27% above average, and a late-career financial advisor earns 105% above average.

In addition to salaries, financial advisors also receive compensation in the form of bonuses, profit sharing and commissions. According to Payscale.com, the average annual bonus received by a financial advisor ranges from $0 to $29,936. The average annual profit sharing compensation ranges from $1,163 to $15,115. The average annual commission compensation ranges from $3,912 to $186,292.

Financial advisors that have customer relationship management skills earn 2% above average, and those with financial analysis skills earn 3% above average. Financial advisors with sales skills earn 9% above average, those with investment planning skills earn 22% above average, those with investment management skills earn 38% above average, and advisors with portfolio management skills earn 56% above average.

How do financial advisor salaries compare to similar careers?

Financial advisors earn 7% more than similar careers in Iowa. On average, they make less than treasurers but more than loan officers.

Career Median Salary
Treasurer salary $133K
Bank branch manager salary $133K
Investment fund manager salary $128K
Financial advisor salary $92K
Actuary salary $129K
Fundraising manager salary $99K
Financial analyst salary $92K
Loan officer salary $84K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)