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Boston Career Explorer

Business and Financial Operations

Personal Financial Advisors

Advise clients on financial plans using knowledge of tax and investment strategies, securities, insurance, pension plans, and real estate. Duties include assessing clients' assets, liabilities, cash flow, insurance coverage, tax status, and financial objectives. May also buy and sell financial assets for clients.

Also called: Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Financial Advisor, Financial Consultant, Financial Counselor, Financial Life Planner, Financial Planner

Median pay in Greater Boston
$126,530
$60.83/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
Not published
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+5.3%
610 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Bachelor's degree
plus Long-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$58,540$83,810$126,530$176,060$486,690

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Interview clients to determine their current income, expenses, insurance coverage, tax status, financial objectives, risk tolerance, or other information needed to develop a financial plan.
  • Analyze financial information obtained from clients to determine strategies for meeting clients' financial objectives.
  • Answer clients' questions about the purposes and details of financial plans and strategies.
  • Review clients' accounts and plans regularly to determine whether life changes, economic changes, environmental concerns, or financial performance indicate a need for plan reassessment.
  • Manage client portfolios, keeping client plans up-to-date.
  • Recommend to clients strategies in cash management, insurance coverage, investment planning, or other areas to help them achieve their financial goals.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Higher exposure95 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 96
  • Language-model AIOE 91
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 97

Observed AI use today: Substantial (Anthropic Economic Index)

This job has higher AI exposure, and observed AI use is substantial. AI tools can help with tasks like analyzing client financial information and keeping portfolios and plans up to date. Interviewing clients, answering their questions, and judging when life changes call for a new plan still rely on a person. Massachusetts jobs in this field are projected to grow 5.3% from 2024 to 2034.

Likely to change

  • Analyzing client financial data
  • Updating portfolios and plans

Still relies on people

  • Interviewing clients about goals and risk comfort
  • Explaining plans and answering client questions

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

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Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

19 programs near Boston (plus 8 graduate)

Related occupations

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