1Pay
$105,070
High national median pay
2025 national median. Top quarter for pay among careers on ChooseField.
Business and Finance · Career brief
Financial Advisor / Planner
Is it a good career to pursue?
The 30-second read
Financial Advisor / Planner at a glance
Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.
2Demand
1.4%
Slow projected growth
Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Below the middle of ChooseField careers for growth.
3Openings
17,100
Lots of annual openings
Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Top quarter for openings among careers on ChooseField.
4Route in
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is typically expected
Bachelor's degree. Prior related work is not typically required.
5The work
Persuasive / leading
Influence, decisions, and results matter
Interview clients to determine their current income, expenses, insurance coverage, tax status, financial objectives, risk tolerance, or other information needed to develop a…
6The catch
Know this first
What could make this a poor fit
Unknown: review standing, lifting, repetitive movement, and posture with a practitioner. No overall physical-demand rating is assigned.
ChooseField take
The strongest national signals are pay and opening volume; each ranks in the top quarter of ChooseField careers. It makes the most sense if persuasive or leadership-oriented work appeals to you and you are comfortable with a bachelor's-degree path. Main tradeoff: Unknown: review standing, lifting, repetitive movement, and posture with a practitioner. No overall physical-demand rating is assigned.
National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.
Compare Financial Advisor / Planner with another field
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Want the evidence behind the snapshot?
Market and path
Pay, outlook, and the route in
National median pay (2025)
$105,070
A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.
2025–2035 outlook
1.4%employment growth17,100openings per year
Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.
Typical entry route
Bachelor's degree; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.
2025 employment
299,400
Estimated workers in this occupation across the United States.
Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Personal financial advisors (13-2052).
Actual responsibilities
What you would be trusted to own
Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.
- 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.
- 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.
- Recommend financial products, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or insurance.
Work profile
What the work emphasizes
O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.
- Getting Information4.8
- Analyzing Data or Information4.7
- Working with Computers4.6
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.6
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.6
Interest profile
Career interests
O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.
Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.
- Enterprising5.9
- Conventional5.6
- Social4.1
- Investigative3.3
- Artistic1.7
- Realistic1.0
Preparation
What the training must make you competent at
Subject matter
Economics and Accounting
Mathematics
Psychology
Sales and Marketing
Before choosing the major or training
Run a cheaper test first
- Work through a realistic case with incomplete information: make a recommendation, show the numbers behind it, and defend the tradeoffs.
- Ask an early-career worker which beginner task consumes the most time, what makes new hires quit, and what school or training failed to simulate.
Field-specific evidence
What changes the picture
Strong experienced compensation
$195,000
Median total compensation reported in CFP Board's 2025 compensation study.
CFP Board · 2025 ↗The fuller career guide
How the evidence fits together
The tradeoff that matters most
Financial planning can produce strong experienced compensation and has a meaningful self-employed share, but outcomes are unlikely to be uniform. Credentials, business model, and client acquisition matter enough that a national median should not be treated as a personal forecast.
Common questions
Questions people ask about this career
Is financial planning a good career?
Consider this field if its core work interests you: advise clients on financial plans using knowledge of tax and investment strategies, securities, insurance, pension plans, and real estate. Try an introductory project, class, or permitted observation before committing to training. Compare the actual cost and required experience with entry-level work available where you plan to live.
Financial advisor salary
The national median annual wage in May 2025 was $105,070. This is a benchmark rather than an expected starting salary; actual compensation varies by experience, location, employer, specialty, credentials, and hours.
Is CFP worth it?
Consider it if your target planning roles require or reward the credential. CFP Board's process includes education, an examination, qualifying experience, and ethics requirements. Compare that commitment with a specific employer's role and support; certification alone does not establish that you will acquire clients or reach an advertised income.
Financial advisor vs accountant
Consider Financial Advisor / Planner if you want to advise clients on financial plans using knowledge of tax and investment strategies, securities, insurance, pension plans, and real estate. Consider Accountant / Auditor if you would rather examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records to prepare financial statements, give advice, or audit and evaluate statements prepared by others. Compare a sample task and the qualification requirements for each before choosing between them.
Adjacent options
Compare before committing
The useful question is not whether one field wins overall, but what changes when you choose a nearby path. Explore the full career guides for Accountant / Auditor, Real Estate Agent, Data Scientist, Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products.
Accountant / Auditor
- Median pay
- $83,680
- Growth
- 5%
Bachelor's degree
Compare side by side →Real Estate Agent
- Median pay
- $52,830
- Growth
- 1.7%
High school diploma or equivalent
Compare side by side →Data Scientist
- Median pay
- $120,230
- Growth
- 34.6%
Bachelor's degree
Compare side by side →Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products
- Median pay
- $77,710
- Growth
- 6%
Specialty requirements need verification
Compare side by side →Sources
- BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections and worker characteristics: pay, employment, openings, education, experience, and training for occupation 13-2052.
- O*NET 13-2052.00 occupation summary: tasks, knowledge, work context, and technologies.
- CFP Board: 2025.