Personal Financial Advisors
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Personal Financial Advisors in the United States earn a median salary of $105,070 per year — about $51 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 326K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of +10%.
AI & Automation Risk
The core technical tasks of this role—analyzing market data, optimizing portfolios, and tax planning—are digital and highly susceptible to AI automation, as evidenced by the rise of robo-advisors. However, the occupation is protected by a significant interpersonal component, as clients often require human trust, emotional reassurance during market volatility, and complex ethical judgment that AI cannot yet fully replicate.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MIBEST VALUE | $159,990 | Below avg (92.5) | $172,927 |
| Springfield, IL | $154,370 | Below avg (92.7) | $166,446 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $170,050 | Above avg (112.6) | $151,071 |
| Bloomington, IL | $141,070 | Below avg (93.5) | $150,817 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | $133,900 | Below avg (91.1) | $146,936 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $145,190 | Average (100.2) | $144,838 |
| Dothan, AL | $120,430 | Below avg (83.8) | $143,655 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | $120,420 | Below avg (84.0) | $143,337 |
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | $126,390 | Below avg (88.5) | $142,768 |
| Sheboygan, WI | $133,200 | Below avg (94.0) | $141,681 |
| Altoona, PA | $125,820 | Below avg (89.5) | $140,570 |
| Santa Fe, NM | $138,790 | Average (98.8) | $140,523 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $124,540 | Below avg (89.1) | $139,808 |
| Fond du Lac, WI | $127,360 | Below avg (91.6) | $138,974 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $160,610 | Above avg (115.6) | $138,920 |