State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Security, Commodity, and Financial Services Sales Agent Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents earn a median of $78,660 per year ($37.82/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 3.3% through 2034, with about 38,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 41-3031Sales and RelatedLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $78,660
- Projected growth
- +3.3%
- Openings a year
- 38,100
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Broker, Commodities Broker, Equity Trader, Financial Advisor, Financial Consultant, Investment Representative.
How much do Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents make?
10th percentile$48,040
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$56,540
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$78,660
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$129,950
Upper quartile
90th percentile$212,880
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $78,660 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $37.82/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $109,150 |
| People employed | 489,570 |
Versus all US occupations
At $78,660, Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents earn 54% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $27,680 a year.
Versus sales and related occupations
Inside the Sales and Related group, where the middle occupation pays $51,495, this is 53% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $212,880 or more while the bottom 10% earn $48,040, a gap of 4.4×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 65% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New York pays the most at $168,340, and still leads at $155,984 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $168,340 | $155,984 | 55,630 |
| Massachusetts | $100,310 | $94,850 | 14,510 |
| Illinois | $99,840 | $99,882 | 27,920 |
| Connecticut | $98,560 | $95,126 | 5,730 |
| Vermont | $88,280 | $90,120 | 240 |
| South Dakota | $86,780 | $97,961 | 730 |
| Delaware | $83,750 | $83,911 | 2,300 |
| Minnesota | $83,350 | $84,515 | 8,820 |
| Nebraska | $82,560 | $91,628 | 2,150 |
| New Jersey | $82,420 | $75,750 | 15,230 |
Is Security, Commodity, and Financial Services Sales Agent a growing career?
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents3.3%
All US occupations3.1%
+3.3% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents to change 3.3% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 17,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 38,100 openings are projected each year, 7.4% of the 514,500 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Services that investment bankers provide, such as helping with initial public offerings and mergers and acquisitions, will continue to be in demand as the economy grows. The United States remains an international financial center, meaning that the economic growth of countries around the world will contribute to employment growth in the U.S. financial industry. An aging population and the decline of traditional pensions may boost demand for these workers, as individuals approaching retirement seek brokers to facilitate securities purchases.
However, automated trading systems have reduced demand for securities traders. Because simpler stock purchases can be made online without a broker, financial firms will focus on hiring sales agents with specialized areas of expertise and strong customer-service skills.
How to become a Security, Commodity, and Financial Services Sales Agent
Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents typically need a bachelor’s degree for entry-level jobs. A master’s degree in business administration (MBA) is useful for advancement.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents.
- Bachelor's Degree55.3%
- High School Diploma26.8%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate6.0%
- Some College Courses5.8%
- Master's Degree3.8%
What does a Security, Commodity, and Financial Services Sales Agent do?
Buy and sell securities or commodities in investment and trading firms, or provide financial services to businesses and individuals. May advise customers about stocks, bonds, mutual funds, commodities, and market conditions.
Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents connect buyers and sellers in financial markets. They sell securities to individuals, advise companies in search of investors, and conduct trades.
Day-to-day tasks
- Monitor markets or positions.
- Determine customers' financial services needs and prepare proposals to sell services that address these needs.
- Contact prospective customers to present information and explain available services.
- Discuss financial options with clients and keep them informed about transactions.
- Interview clients to determine clients' assets, liabilities, cash flow, insurance coverage, tax status, or financial objectives.
- Report all positions or trading results.
- Agree on buying or selling prices at optimal levels for clients.
- Develop financial plans, based on analysis of clients' financial status.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents work
| Credit intermediation and related activities | 54% |
|---|---|
| Securities, commodity contracts, and other financial investments and related activities | 32% |
| Self-employed workers | 7% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 2% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening3.8/5
- Critical Thinking3.8/5
- Monitoring3.6/5
- Reading Comprehension3.5/5
- Speaking3.5/5
- Active Learning3.5/5
- Writing3.4/5
- Mathematics3.1/5
Transferable skills
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6/5
- Persuasion3.5/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.4/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4/5
- Service Orientation3.3/5
- Systems Analysis3.3/5
- Systems Evaluation3.1/5
- Time Management3.1/5
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Security, Commodity, and Financial Services Sales Agent?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic1.3
Investigative2.5
Artistic1.3
Socialprimary3.1
Enterprisingprimary6.1
Conventionalprimary5.3
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Security, Commodity, and Financial Services Sales Agent: frequently asked questions
How much do Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents make?
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents earn a median of $78,660 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 54% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $37.82/hr. The middle half earn between $56,540 and $129,950. The top 10% earn $212,880 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Security, Commodity, and Financial Services Sales Agent?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 55.3% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Security, Commodity, and Financial Services Sales Agent a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.3% over 2024–2034, about the same as the 3.1% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 38,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Security, Commodity, and Financial Services Sales Agent do?
Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents connect buyers and sellers in financial markets. A core O*NET task: monitor markets or positions. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Customer relationship management CRM software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents the most?
The highest state medians for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents are New York ($168,340), Massachusetts ($100,310), Illinois ($99,840) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Security, Commodity, and Financial Services Sales Agent?
O*NET scores Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Social interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ESFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.