How much does a Financial Advisor make in Massachusetts?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $101,320 for Financial Advisors in Massachusetts as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $80,460 and the 75th-percentile is $152,270.

How are Massachusetts Financial Advisor salaries calculated on this page?

Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.

How many Financial Advisors does Massachusetts employ?

BLS OES counts 7,410 Financial Advisors employed in Massachusetts in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Why is the BEA RPP for Massachusetts different from a single CPI number?

BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Massachusetts's overall index of 107.7 reflects rents 130.1, services 166.1, and goods 100.0.

What are the limits of these Financial Advisor salary numbers?

BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.

AUM-fee economics — what does it take to earn the Massachusetts BLS median?

The classic 1% AUM fee on a $50M practice yields $500K gross revenue. After overhead (typically 30-50% of revenue: staff, technology, custodial fees, compliance, rent, marketing) the principal advisor in Massachusetts nets $250-350K, well above the BLS-reported W-2 median for SOC 13-2052. To match the BLS-reported median for Massachusetts as a wirehouse W-2 advisor, the typical book size required is $30-40M AUM at standard grid payouts — achievable in 5-10 years with strong recruiting and referral systems. Below that production threshold, wirehouse advisors are typically counseled out or transition to support roles.

CFP / CFA / ChFC credential premium in Massachusetts?

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 Massachusetts, 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.

Massachusetts Financial Advisor Salary: BLS $101K Median, Real $94K (2026)

TL;DR

Median Financial Advisor salary in Massachusetts: $101,320 nominal, $94,098 real (BEA RPP basis).
Mid-band breakdown: P25 $80,460, P50 $101,320, P75 $152,270. Tail percentiles withheld by BLS — common when tech-sector wages exceed the OES survey cap.
BEA RPP near 100 means nominal pay translates almost 1:1 into real take-home.
On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #24 of 51; nominal rank is #14.

Wage breakdown — Massachusetts

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$65,060	$60,423
P25 (lower quartile)	$80,460	$74,725
P50 (median)	$101,320	$94,098
P75 (upper quartile)	$152,270	$141,416
P90 (top tier)
Mean	$147,450	$136,940
Employment	7,410 Financial Advisors in Massachusetts

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Massachusetts index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	107.7
Goods	100.0
Services	166.1
Rents	130.1

Massachusetts is a high-cost state — RPP 107.7 above the national 100 baseline. Most of the cost premium routes through rents (130.1) and services (166.1).

After-tax take-home — Massachusetts (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)	$101,320	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$13,537	13.4% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$5,066	5% flat 2026 (4% surtax above $1M)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$7,751	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$74,966	74.0% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$69,622	÷ (107.7 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Massachusetts state-tax burden means for Financial Advisor take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 5.0% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $74,966 (74.0% of gross). After the 107.7 RPP, real take-home is $69,622.

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. Massachusetts sits at #14 on nominal pay and #24 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Massachusetts falls 10 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Financial Advisor make in Massachusetts?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $101,320 for Financial Advisors in Massachusetts as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $80,460 and the 75th-percentile is $152,270.
How are Massachusetts Financial Advisor salaries calculated on this page?: Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.
How many Financial Advisors does Massachusetts employ?: BLS OES counts 7,410 Financial Advisors employed in Massachusetts in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Why is the BEA RPP for Massachusetts different from a single CPI number?: BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Massachusetts's overall index of 107.7 reflects rents 130.1, services 166.1, and goods 100.0.
What are the limits of these Financial Advisor salary numbers?: BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.
AUM-fee economics — what does it take to earn the Massachusetts BLS median?: The classic 1% AUM fee on a $50M practice yields $500K gross revenue. After overhead (typically 30-50% of revenue: staff, technology, custodial fees, compliance, rent, marketing) the principal advisor in Massachusetts nets $250-350K, well above the BLS-reported W-2 median for SOC 13-2052. To match the BLS-reported median for Massachusetts as a wirehouse W-2 advisor, the typical book size required is $30-40M AUM at standard grid payouts — achievable in 5-10 years with strong recruiting and referral systems. Below that production threshold, wirehouse advisors are typically counseled out or transition to support roles.
CFP / CFA / ChFC credential premium in Massachusetts?: 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 Massachusetts, 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 Massachusetts 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.