How much does a Financial Advisor make in Texas?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $82,180 for Financial Advisors in Texas as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $61,720 and the 75th-percentile is $125,570.

How many Financial Advisors does Texas employ?

BLS OES counts 17,570 Financial Advisors employed in Texas 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 Texas 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. Texas's overall index of 97.1 reflects rents 97.5, services 92.4, and goods 98.1.

How wide is the wage spread in Texas?

P10 to P90 spans $47,830 to $229,510. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

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 Texas 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 Texas nets $250-350K, well above the BLS-reported W-2 median for SOC 13-2052. To match the BLS-reported median for Texas 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 Texas?

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 Texas, 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.

Texas Financial Advisor Salary: BLS $82K Median, Real $85K (2026)

TL;DR

$82,180 is the BLS median wage for Financial Advisors in Texas; $84,600 is the BEA-adjusted purchasing-power equivalent.
State ranks #31 nationally on nominal wage, #36 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
BEA RPP near 100 means nominal pay translates almost 1:1 into real take-home.
BLS percentile breakdown: P10 $47,830 · P25 $61,720 · P75 $125,570 · P90 $229,510.

Wage breakdown — Texas

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$47,830	$49,238
P25 (lower quartile)	$61,720	$63,537
P50 (median)	$82,180	$84,600
P75 (upper quartile)	$125,570	$129,267
P90 (top tier)	$229,510	$236,267
Mean	$126,020	$129,730
Employment	17,570 Financial Advisors in Texas

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Texas index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	97.1
Goods	98.1
Services	92.4
Rents	97.5

Texas's overall RPP (97.1) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

After-tax take-home — Texas (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)	$82,180	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$9,327	11.3% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	$0	no state income tax
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$6,287	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$66,567	81.0% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$68,526	÷ (97.1 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

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

Texas levies no state income tax on wages, which is worth roughly $4,109 a year for a Financial Advisor at the BLS median compared with the national-average state burden (≈5%). After the favorable cost of living, real take-home is $68,526 — higher than the nominal after-tax figure because RPP is below 100.

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. Texas sits at #31 on nominal pay and #36 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Texas falls 5 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Financial Advisor make in Texas?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $82,180 for Financial Advisors in Texas as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $61,720 and the 75th-percentile is $125,570.
How many Financial Advisors does Texas employ?: BLS OES counts 17,570 Financial Advisors employed in Texas 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 Texas 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. Texas's overall index of 97.1 reflects rents 97.5, services 92.4, and goods 98.1.
How wide is the wage spread in Texas?: P10 to P90 spans $47,830 to $229,510. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
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 Texas 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 Texas nets $250-350K, well above the BLS-reported W-2 median for SOC 13-2052. To match the BLS-reported median for Texas 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 Texas?: 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 Texas, 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 Texas 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.