# Personal Financial Advisors

> 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. May also buy and sell financial assets for clients.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/personal-financial-advisors
- SOC code: 13-2052.00
- Career family: Business and finance
- Median annual pay: $105,070 (10th percentile $50,190, 90th percentile $357,020)
- Projected growth: Slower than average, +1.4%
- Openings a year: 17,100
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code ECS)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 0 |
| Investigative (I) | 38 |
| Artistic (A) | 12 |
| Social (S) | 51 |
| Enterprising (E) | 81 |
| Conventional (C) | 77 |

## What you'd do

- Getting Information (importance 94/100)
- Analyzing Data or Information (importance 92/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 91/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 89/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 89/100)
- Processing Information (importance 87/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 87/100)
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others (importance 81/100)
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization (importance 80/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 76/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Writing, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Mathematics, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, Economics and Accounting, English Language, Mathematics, Psychology, Administration and Management, Sales and Marketing, Computers and Electronics, Law and Government, Administrative

## Also called

Account Manager, Asset Analyst, Asset Manager, Budget Counselor, Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Client Advisor, Credit Counselor, Debt Counselor, Estate Planner

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Finance and Financial Management Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5208) (CIP 5208, 924 colleges)
- Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies (CIP 1904, 35 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Washington University in St Louis WUSTL](https://www.collegesref.com/college/washington-university-in-st-louis-wustl-3172) | Finance and Financial Management Services | $108,590 | $185,551 | $20,750 |
| [University of Notre Dame-South Bend IN](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-notre-dame-south-bend-in-3005) | Finance and Financial Management Services | $141,543 | $160,313 | $19,500 |
| [Georgetown University-DC](https://www.collegesref.com/college/georgetown-university-dc-1068) | Finance and Financial Management Services | $126,622 | $152,744 | $13,088 |
| [Boston College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/boston-college-285) | Finance and Financial Management Services | $92,127 | $147,746 | $18,650 |
| [Wake Forest University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/wake-forest-university-3149) | Finance and Financial Management Services | $116,242 | $145,996 | $19,500 |
| [American University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/american-university-69) | Finance and Financial Management Services | $76,317 | $134,332 | $20,633 |
| [Southern Methodist University SMU](https://www.collegesref.com/college/southern-methodist-university-smu-2498) | Finance and Financial Management Services | $93,440 | $133,852 | $17,250 |
| [The University of Texas at Austin Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/the-university-of-texas-at-austin-main-campus-2764) | Finance and Financial Management Services | $81,536 | $132,075 | $18,975 |

## Related careers

- [Financial and Investment Analysts](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/financial-and-investment-analysts): $102,740 median pay
- [Credit Counselors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/credit-counselors): $52,230 median pay
- [Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/securities-commodities-and-financial-services-sales-agents): $78,660 median pay
- [Investment Fund Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/investment-fund-managers): $166,570 median pay
- [Financial Risk Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/financial-risk-specialists): $117,330 median pay
- [Loan Officers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/loan-officers): $76,690 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.