Personal Financial Advisors Salary in Los Angeles, CA (2024)
Personal Financial Advisors in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area earn a median of $121,940 per year ($58.62 per hour) based on 12,240 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +19.4% against the national median of $102,140 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where personal financial advisors actually sit across the pay range in Los Angeles, CA, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $30.54 | $63,530 | |
| 25th percentile | $37.71 | $78,430 | |
| Median | $58.62 | $121,940 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $81.63 | $169,800 | |
| 90th percentile | — | — | |
| Average (mean) | $74.65 | $155,270 |
How Los Angeles, CA compares
The local median of $121,940 runs +19.4% above the US median of $102,140 for this occupation; it pays 128.0% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($53,490); within the metro it ranks 90th of 733 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA — this occupation | $121,940 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $102,140 | +19.4% |
| Los Angeles, CA — all occupations | $53,490 | +128.0% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $168,350 | -27.6% |
The location quotient of 1.13 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 4.9%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 90th of 733 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Los Angeles, CA
To put $121,940 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 90th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $235,930 | — |
| Chief Executives | $231,500 | 12,420 |
| Lawyers | $205,900 | 40,990 |
| Podiatrists | $193,510 | 370 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $191,410 | 24,260 |
| Nurse Midwives | $190,230 | 190 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $181,400 | 8,850 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $179,990 | — |
| Commercial Pilots | $177,300 | 2,110 |
| Dentists, General | $176,200 | 4,300 |
Where personal financial advisors earn the most
Across the 24 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $78,650 to $168,350. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $168,350 | 28,950 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $157,510 | 8,830 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $128,400 | 2,810 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $121,940 | 12,240 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $114,490 | 3,540 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $112,020 | 4,860 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $109,520 | 4,320 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $109,390 | 7,370 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $108,640 | 8,170 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $108,310 | 7,180 |
See the full national picture on the Personal Financial Advisors salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for personal financial advisors in Los Angeles, CA?
The median annual wage is $121,940, or $59 per hour. That means half of the personal financial advisors working in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $155,270.
Is personal financial advisors pay in Los Angeles, CA above the local average?
Yes, it is 128.0% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $53,490. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Los Angeles, CA pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $121,940 the metro median is 19.4% higher than the US median of $102,140 for personal financial advisors. Across the 24 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $78,650 to $168,350.
How many personal financial advisors work in Los Angeles, CA?
BLS counts about 12,240 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 1.98 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. The location quotient of 1.13 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 9.2%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.