Financial Analysts Salary

• The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2009, the average salary of a financial analyst was $85,240 a year. The bottom 10th percentile of analysts earned less than $44,080 a year while the top 10th percentile of earners brought in over $139,350 annually. However, the majority of financial analysts, those in the middle 50th percentile, garnered between $55,640 and $98,920 a year. Financial analysts typically focus more on investment and the number of positions is expected to increase at a faster than average rate over the next several years.
  
  

Financial Analysts: Location and Industry

• According to the bureau report, several states paid higher than average wages for financial analysts. Oregon, Massachusetts, and Connecticut all paid wages averaging between $91,170 and $96,960 a year. The two highest paying states, unsurprisingly, were California and New York, boasting averages of $96,960 and $107,650 a year respectively. A few industries paid lower than average wages, such as insurance carriers at $74,980 annually. Above the national average paying positions could be found in advertising and public relations firms that paid $94,810 a year on average, or with securities and commodity exchanges, which paid $105,820 a year. The highest paying employers in 2009 were other financial investment activities firms, averaging $111,490 a year for analysts.
  
  

Personal Financial Advisors Salary

• The bureau report states that in 2009, the average annual wage for a personal financial advisor was $94,180 a year, based on an estimated 149,460 working in the U.S. The lowest earners in the bottom 10th percentile made less than $33,790 a year and the top 10th percentile of advisors made more than $166,400 a year. Most personal financial advisors fell into the middle 50th percentile, ranging from $44,760 to $116,580 annually. Personal advisors tend to work more with individuals and focus on taxes, real estate, and retirement.
  
  

Personal Financial Advisors: Location and Industry

• In the 2009 report, only Florida and Delaware had average salaries below the national figure, paying $64,810 and $74,130 a year respectively. Alabama, Connecticut, and Massachusetts all reported six figure wages for personal financial advisors. However, New York was again the highest paying state in the country, boasting an average annual wage of $146,460. The lowest paying industry on the report was depository credit intermediation at an average of $64,010 a year. Personal advisors in accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services earned $95,850 on average while those in securities and commodity brokerages brought in $104,840 annually. Like analysts, the highest paying industry for personal financial advisors was financial investment activities, averaging $110,130 a year.