How much does a Personal Financial Advisor make?
The median pay for a Personal Financial Advisor in the United States is $105,070 per year — about $50.51 per hour. Entry-level positions start near $50,190, while the most experienced Personal Financial Advisors in the top 10% earn $357,020.
That is $43,680 more than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).
Personal Financial Advisor salary range by percentile
Half of all Personal Financial Advisors earn between $72,440 and $176,790 a year.
| Pay level | Annual salary | Hourly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $50,190 | $24.13 | |
| 25th percentile (early career) | $72,440 | $34.83 | |
| 50th percentile (median) | $105,070 | $50.51 | |
| 75th percentile (experienced) | $176,790 | $85.00 | |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $357,020 | $171.64 |
Highest-paying states for Personal Financial Advisor
Where you work matters more than almost anything else. New York leads the country for Personal Financial Advisor pay at $166,400 a year, followed by New Jersey ($158,570) and California ($130,330). At the other end, Mississippi posts the lowest median at $63,300 — a gap of $103,100 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.
| # | State | Median salary | Hourly | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $166,400 | $80.00 | +58% |
| 2 | New Jersey | $158,570 | $76.24 | +51% |
| 3 | California | $130,330 | $62.66 | +24% |
| 4 | Connecticut | $129,720 | $62.37 | +23% |
| 5 | South Dakota | $128,720 | $61.88 | +23% |
Personal Financial Advisor salary in every state
Official BLS state-level figures across 49 states and territories. Click a state for the full local breakdown.
Workforce and education
About 267,000 people work as Personal Financial Advisors in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $156,670 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a bachelor's degree (about 4 years of college) is the standard entry requirement, per O*NET occupation data.
Frequently asked questions
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