FAFinancial Advisor
FA
Career

Financial Advisor

By the numbers
Typical pay
$105,070 / yr
Education to start
Bachelor's degree
Future demand
+9.6% by 2034
People in this job
267K
Figures shown for ·1 O*NET occupation
The work
A day, hour by hour
07:45
Market prep

Scan overnight news and flag which clients a market dip might rattle.

08:30
Meeting prep

Review today's client files, balances, and notes from the last visit.

09:30
Planning meeting

Couple wants to buy a home and retire at 62. Map the steps.

10:45
Nervous call

Markets dropped. A client wants to sell everything. Listen first, then talk it through.

11:30
Portfolio review

Spot a drifting portfolio. Rebalance it, and check each fund truly fits the client.

13:00
Paperwork

Fill out account forms and log notes so every record meets legal rules.

14:00
Life-change check-in

New baby changes the plan. Rework savings, insurance, and college goals together.

15:30
Plain-English explaining

Break down taxes and retirement account choices without jargon. Ask what's unclear.

16:30
Finding clients

Thank a referral, call a prospect, and prep for next week's seminar.

Things you do
  • Sit down with clients to learn their money and life goals.
  • Build a step-by-step plan for goals like retirement or buying a home.
  • Recommend investments that fit each client's goals and comfort with risk.
  • Calm nervous clients and talk them through market drops.
  • Review portfolios regularly and adjust them as life or markets change.
Decisions you’ll make
  • Should I talk this panicking client out of selling, or hear them out?
  • Is this investment truly best for my client, or just best for my paycheck?
  • How much risk can this client really handle, whatever they tell me?
  • Has something changed in this client's life that means it's time to rework their plan?
  • Is this explanation clear enough, or did I just bury them in jargon?
Education Pathways · how you get there
93 in 100 went the college route · 7 in 100 found another way in None, typically
Education mapped from O*NET:Personal Financial Advisors · 97% related
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