What You Need to Know About Personal Financial Advisor
Personal Financial Advisor Job 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.
List of Personal Financial Advisor Job Duties
- Manage client portfolios, keeping client plans up-to-date.
- Monitor financial market trends to ensure that client plans are responsive.
- Prepare or interpret for clients information such as investment performance reports, financial document summaries, or income projections.
- Recommend to clients strategies in cash management, insurance coverage, investment planning, or other areas to help them achieve their financial goals.
- Conduct seminars or workshops on financial planning topics, such as retirement planning, estate planning, or the evaluation of severance packages.
- Recommend financial products, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or insurance.
Featured schools near , edit
Qualities of a Personal Financial Advisor
When polled, Personal Financial Advisors say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Other Personal Financial Advisor Job Titles
- Investment Consultant
- Individual Pension Adviser
- Pension Consultant
- Credit Counselor
- Financial Planner
Personal Financial Advisor Job Outlook
There were about 271,900 jobs for Personal Financial Advisor in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 14.9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 40,400 new jobs for Personal Financial Advisor by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 25,500 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Personal Financial Advisor are Colorado, Delaware, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, New Jersey, or Massachusetts. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does a Personal Financial Advisor Make?
The salary for Personal Financial Advisors ranges between about $41,590 and $208,000 a year.

Personal Financial Advisors who work in New York, District of Columbia, or New Jersey, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Personal Financial Advisors in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $117,350 |
Alaska | $93,530 |
Arizona | $107,160 |
Arkansas | $96,600 |
California | $128,730 |
Colorado | $103,540 |
Connecticut | $131,280 |
Delaware | $126,880 |
District of Columbia | $158,460 |
Florida | $122,840 |
Georgia | $121,420 |
Hawaii | $81,700 |
Idaho | $104,640 |
Illinois | $126,640 |
Indiana | $111,330 |
Iowa | $105,540 |
Kansas | $93,720 |
Kentucky | $85,470 |
Louisiana | $92,300 |
Maine | $135,170 |
Maryland | $110,080 |
Massachusetts | $128,140 |
Michigan | $102,010 |
Minnesota | $99,490 |
Mississippi | $102,820 |
Missouri | $85,830 |
Montana | $102,730 |
Nebraska | $85,890 |
Nevada | $108,540 |
New Hampshire | $105,010 |
New Jersey | $127,150 |
New Mexico | $133,500 |
New York | $164,260 |
North Carolina | $134,860 |
North Dakota | $100,360 |
Ohio | $102,300 |
Oklahoma | $74,340 |
Oregon | $117,730 |
Pennsylvania | $109,250 |
Rhode Island | $112,430 |
South Carolina | $89,830 |
South Dakota | $77,490 |
Tennessee | $89,960 |
Texas | $110,820 |
Utah | $88,440 |
Vermont | $85,150 |
Virginia | $121,250 |
Washington | $109,870 |
West Virginia | $95,210 |
Wisconsin | $115,820 |
Wyoming | $135,340 |
What Tools do Personal Financial Advisors Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Personal Financial Advisors:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Structured query language SQL
- Microsoft Dynamics
- FileMaker Pro
- Salesforce software
- Oracle E-Business Suite Financials
- Oracle Hyperion
- Sage 50 Accounting
- IBM Domino
- Oracle PeopleSoft Financials
- Fund accounting software
- IBM Lotus 1-2-3
- Swift
- Practice management software PMS
- Intuit Quicken
Becoming a Personal Financial Advisor
What education or degrees do I need to become a Personal Financial Advisor?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Personal Financial Advisor?

Who Employs Personal Financial Advisors?

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

You May Also Be Interested In…
Those thinking about becoming a Personal Financial Advisor might also be interested in the following careers:
Are you already one of the many Personal Financial Advisor in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
Image Credit: Dave Dugdale via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
![]() |
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |