Career Guide
Financial advisor
If you are undaunted by numbers, excel at strategic data analysis and enjoy collaborating to help clients make every dollar count, you may want to consider a career path as a financial advisor.
If you are undaunted by numbers, excel at strategic data analysis and enjoy collaborating to help clients make every dollar count, you may want to consider a career path as a financial advisor.
Career overview
Financial advisors are business professionals who help clients manage their money and plan for their financial future. They typically provide tailored guidance on investments, tax planning, and insurance to help individuals meet short- and long-term financial goals. Their responsibilities may include meeting with clients to understand their financial objectives, offering tax advice, researching and recommending suitable investment options and adjusting financial plans as circumstances change. Self-employed financial advisors also assist in planning for specific goals like education or retirement. As a financial advisor, you may specialize in areas like retirement planning or risk management and insurance.
In 2022, financial advisors filled approximately 327,600 positions in the national workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Opportunities to choose your industry and work environment are vast for financial advisors, as these professionals are needed across every industry for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Many financial advisors join companies that offer financial products and services, such as investment firms, banks, insurance companies and businesses, BLS notes, while others are self-employed. Financial advisors might hold titles like certified financial planner, financial consultant, investment advisor, portfolio manager and wealth advisor, according to O*NET.
Take your next step
Career-relevant skills
You may see these skills in day-to-day experience in the financial advisor career:
Corporate finance
Financial data
Client services
Financial services
Investments
Wealth management
Financial institutions
- Financial industry regulatory authorities
- Equity markets
- Profit and loss (P&L) management
Financial portfolios
Financial modeling
Retirement planning
Benefits planning
Enrollment plans
Financial statements
Business ethics
Financial management strategies
Soft skills
Regularly used on the job
Active listening, reading comprehension, strong verbal communication, writing and critical thinking are a few of the valuable soft skills a financial advisor may regularly use on the job, according to O*NET.
Salary range $61 - 161K
25th to 75th percentile
Financial advisors within the 25th and 75th percentiles earned between $61,960 and $165,590 in 2022, according to nationwide statistics from BLS.[1]
25,600
Annual job opportunities
Job opportunities for financial advisors are increasing much faster than average, according to BLS. With an estimated 25,600 jobs opening nationally every year, this field is projected to grow 13% from 2022-2032.[1]
[1] The salary ranges are not specific to students or graduates of University of Phoenix. Actual outcomes vary based on multiple factors, including prior work experience, geographic location, and other factors specific to the individual. University of Phoenix does not guarantee employment, salary level, or career advancement. BLS data is geographically based. Information for a specific state/city can be researched on the BLS website. The BLS Projected Growth for 2022-2032 is published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects the BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates.
Education and experience
You can pursue a financial advisor career in a few ways. While most companies do not require a specific degree specialization, a bachelor’s degree is usually needed to qualify for financial advisor positions, according to BLS. Like many aspiring financial professionals, you could pursue a degree in business, social science or math. You can take additional courses in investments, taxes, estate planning and risk management to prepare for a career as a financial advisor.
Certificate programs can boost your journey to pursuing a financial advisor career by keeping you updated on industry trends and developing essential skills you can apply in the real world. Our certificate programs at University of Phoenix are designed to support individuals — who have already earned or are working towards a bachelor’s degree — looking to specialize or expand their expertise within the field.
Financial advisors who engage in the buying or selling of stocks, bond and insurance policies, as well as offering specific guidance on investments, may need to pursue state licensure to practice. According to BLS, those employed by small companies need to register with state regulators, while financial advisors working for large firms must register with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
As a financial advisor, you may be able to advance into the role of a financial manager. Earning a master’s degree in a business field, such as finance or business administration, or related certifications may help you to establish credibility in your position and progress in your career.
University of Phoenix offers undergraduate programs aligned to the financial advisor career. To get started, you could enroll in our Bachelor of Science in Business program with a financial planning certificate. The undergraduate certificate can also be taken separately. Each course in the highlighted programs below is five weeks in length, and students work to complete one course at a time. Learn more about which of these programs, designed to teach you the skills you’ll need as a financial advisor, is right for you.
Financial planning certificate (undergraduate)
This undergraduate certificate program could be just the educational support you need if you:
- Have a bachelor’s degree in a non-business area and are looking to pivot your career path
- Have a business degree but would like to dive deeper into the concepts of financial decision making
The included courses are designed to equip you with an entry-level understanding of financial planning concepts, theories and practices that can qualify you to become a financial advisor, such as:
- Financial decision making
- Personal financial planning
- Strategic financial management
- Financial institutions
- Investment fundamentals and portfolio management
- Retirement and benefit planning
You can take the required six courses in as short as seven months and will need to complete all 18 credits to earn your certificate.
Bachelor of Science in Business with a financial planning certificate
Our Bachelor of Science in Business program may be a suitable academic pathway for individuals looking to build a well-rounded foundation in business knowledge concepts and skills. For students working towards a career as a financial advisor, the Bachelor of Science in Business with a financial planning certificate is recommended.
The included courses are designed to teach students how to:
- Integrate decision-making skills to address business needs
- Integrate business concepts and principles to advance organizational goals
- Analyze interrelationships among distinct functional areas of an organization
- Analyze logistics involved in global business operations
- Examine areas of financial planning that can be used to improve decision making
- Analyze financial information to improve operational performance
In this program, you are required to complete 120 credits through courses in general education, core topics and elective subjects, as well as the six certificate courses outlined in the section above. The length for this program is four years.
How can University of Phoenix support me in pursuing my career goals?
Students and graduates can access our Career Navigator tools, which can help you evaluate career options, track career-relevant skills and discover job postings suited to your needs. From resumé building and interview preparation to networking and mentorship, University of Phoenix offers career services for life to all students and graduates. Dive deeper into our career services, resources and tools to find out how we can help you reach your goals.
