How much does a Financial Advisor make in District of Columbia?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $100,840 for Financial Advisors in District of Columbia as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $83,170 and the 75th-percentile is $178,510.

What is the real (cost-adjusted) Financial Advisor salary in District of Columbia?

After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 110.7 for District of Columbia), the real-wage equivalent is $91,082 — what the $100,840 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $75,122 to $161,237.

What does the top of the Financial Advisor pay scale look like in District of Columbia?

The 90th percentile lands at $224,350. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $178,510.

Where does District of Columbia rank for Financial Advisor pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, District of Columbia ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.

Is District of Columbia a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Financial Advisors?

No — District of Columbia's RPP of 110.7 sits above 100, meaning the $100,840 nominal wage compresses to a real-wage equivalent of $91,082. The cost premium goes mostly to rents and services.

When does this data update?

BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.

CFP / CFA / ChFC credential premium in District of Columbia?

BLS does not split by credential. CFP Board surveys and FA Insight industry studies typically show CFP charterholders earning 15-30% above non-CFP advisors at comparable AUM, concentrated in fee-only RIA channels where the credential is functionally required for client trust. CFA charter is rarer in retail wealth management — most relevant for advisors with high-net-worth or institutional book — but adds incremental premium. ChFC, CIMA, and CPWA fall in similar credential premium bands. In District of Columbia, the credential premium is largest at the high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth end of the market and smaller in mass-affluent and bank-channel practices.

District of Columbia Financial Advisor Salary: BLS $101K Median, Real $91K (2026)

TL;DR

Median Financial Advisor salary in District of Columbia: $100,840 nominal, $91,082 real (BEA RPP basis).
On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #27 of 51; nominal rank is #16.
Real wage trails nominal by $9,758 after BEA adjustment — the cost-of-living bill, mostly rents.
P25-P75 spread runs $83,170 to $178,510; P10 floor $65,120, P90 ceiling $224,350.

Wage breakdown — District of Columbia

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$65,120	$58,819
P25 (lower quartile)	$83,170	$75,122
P50 (median)	$100,840	$91,082
P75 (upper quartile)	$178,510	$161,237
P90 (top tier)	$224,350	$202,641
Mean	$137,650	$124,330
Employment	650 Financial Advisors in District of Columbia

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	District of Columbia index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	110.7
Goods	106.5
Services	109.0
Rents	168.1

District of Columbia is a high-cost state — RPP 110.7 above the national 100 baseline. Most of the cost premium routes through rents (168.1) and services (109.0).

After-tax take-home — District of Columbia (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Financial Advisor)	$100,840	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$13,432	13.3% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$5,730	4–10.75% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$7,714	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$73,964	73.3% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$66,807	÷ (110.7 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the District of Columbia state-tax burden means for Financial Advisor take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 5.7% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $73,964 (73.3% of gross). After the 110.7 RPP, real take-home is $66,807.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $102,140 for Financial Advisors with mean pay of $160,210 and total employment of 270,480. District of Columbia sits at #16 on nominal pay and #27 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, District of Columbia falls 11 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Financial Advisor make in District of Columbia?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $100,840 for Financial Advisors in District of Columbia as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $83,170 and the 75th-percentile is $178,510.
What is the real (cost-adjusted) Financial Advisor salary in District of Columbia?: After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 110.7 for District of Columbia), the real-wage equivalent is $91,082 — what the $100,840 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $75,122 to $161,237.
What does the top of the Financial Advisor pay scale look like in District of Columbia?: The 90th percentile lands at $224,350. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $178,510.
Where does District of Columbia rank for Financial Advisor pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, District of Columbia ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
Is District of Columbia a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Financial Advisors?: No — District of Columbia's RPP of 110.7 sits above 100, meaning the $100,840 nominal wage compresses to a real-wage equivalent of $91,082. The cost premium goes mostly to rents and services.
When does this data update?: BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.
CFP / CFA / ChFC credential premium in District of Columbia?: BLS does not split by credential. CFP Board surveys and FA Insight industry studies typically show CFP charterholders earning 15-30% above non-CFP advisors at comparable AUM, concentrated in fee-only RIA channels where the credential is functionally required for client trust. CFA charter is rarer in retail wealth management — most relevant for advisors with high-net-worth or institutional book — but adds incremental premium. ChFC, CIMA, and CPWA fall in similar credential premium bands. In District of Columbia, the credential premium is largest at the high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth end of the market and smaller in mass-affluent and bank-channel practices.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 13-2052, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-08.

Cross-comparison: see how District of Columbia Financial Advisor pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.