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Financial Services Sales Agents Job Overview

Financial services sales agents provide banking, insurance, accounting, tax preparation, securities and other related services. The duties for financial sales agents vary greatly by occupational specialty. Securities sales agents set up trades in stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other forms of financial instruments. They arrange securities trades for individuals and large institutions. Stock brokers sell securities to retail investors and are paid a fee for their service. Investment bankers are sales agents that offer underwriting services. They connect company representatives looking for money to finance their operations with investors that will provide the funding in exchange for debt instruments or equity.

Financial Services Sales Agents Schools and Degrees

Many employers of securities and commodities sales agents require applicants to have a college degree in economics, finance, accounting or business. A master's degree is necessary for many high level positions in the securities industry. MBA's are very useful for job seekers in the profession. Many securities firms employ summer interns before their last year of college. New employees are typically provided with on-the-job training. Securities sales agents continually go to training seminars and conferences to stay up-to-date with the latest products and services.

Job Requirements

Financial services sales agents need to be able to deal with stress. Their work environment often becomes fast paced and they usually have to work with demanding managers. Financial services sales agents need good interpersonal and communication skills. They also need to be skilled at analyzing numbers. Having a desire to succeed and being able to work independently are important attributes for the occupation. They also need to be able to handle rejection.

Nature of Work

Financial services sales agents typically work 40 hours a week. They spend a significant portion of their time away from their office having meetings with clients and potential clients. Financial services representatives sometimes go to civic functions in order to meet potential clients. Some financial services agents work exclusively inside banks. Stock brokers and investment advisors typically work over 40 hours a week and they often work in the evenings and weekends to accommodate their clients that work during the day. Many securities sales agents employed by discount or online brokerage companies work in call-center settings. They spend a substantial portion of their time on the telephone with customers taking orders and discussing securities.

Financial Services Sales Agents Jobs and Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a job growth of 25% from 2006 to 2016 for securities, commodities and financial services sales agents which is much faster than average for all occupations. Market conditions and the state of the economy highly influence employment opportunities in the securities industry. The median annual earnings in 2006 was $68,500. The highest paid 10 percent earned more than $145,600. Many sales agents receive commissions.

Job Numbers and Growth

How many financial services sales agents are there? About 320,000 in all. Workers can most likely expect a low rate of unemployment. Note that 4% of employees were without work in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

Bridgeport (Connecticut), New York (New York), and Nashua (New Hampshire) boast the most financial services sales agents for their size population. Fort Smith (Arkansas), Visalia (California), and Killeen (Texas) have the fewest.

The highest salaries for workers are in and around Bridgeport (Connecticut), San Francisco (California), and Cape Coral (Florida). The lowest-paying areas are Reno (Nevada), Laredo (Texas), and Carson City (Nevada).

Training and Education

Expect to get a bachelor's degree for this occupation. The share of financial services sales agents with a bachelor's degree or higher is 67%. About 23% of workers got additional education after high school, but did not have to get a college degree. There was no need to go beyond high school for 10% of employees. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

It is estimated that 7% of financial services sales agents work less than full time. Self-employment is the choice of 18% of workers.

Financial Services Sales Agents by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Birmingham	$88,000	650	-41%
Huntsville	$98,000	110	-76%
Mobile	$81,000	170	-56%
Montgomery	$111,000	120	-66%
Tuscaloosa	$104,000	60	-68%

Alaska

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Anchorage	$85,000	130	-64%

Arizona

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Phoenix	$76,000	4,970	+24%
Prescott	$34,000	100	-7%
Tucson	$59,000	370	-52%
Yuma	$34,000	60	-46%

Arkansas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Fayetteville	$85,000	180	-60%
Little Rock	$127,000	440	-43%

California

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bakersfield	$92,000	130	-77%
Chico	$78,000	130	-9%
Fresno	$89,000	220	-69%
Los Angeles	$112,000	7,920	-14%
Merced		50	-56%
Modesto	$75,000	100	-70%
Napa	$88,000	130	+2%
Oakland	$105,000	1,720	-24%
Oxnard	$87,000	490	-26%
Redding	$61,000	100	-17%
Riverside	$72,000	840	-69%
Sacramento	$58,000	1,740	-12%
Salinas	$83,000	250	-28%
San Diego	$87,000	2,410	-19%
San Francisco	$140,000	4,900	+117%
San Jose	$94,000	1,390	-32%
San Luis Obispo	$109,000	130	-33%
Santa Ana	$91,000	3,040	-8%
Santa Barbara	$105,000	210	-42%
Santa Cruz	$95,000	140	-23%
Santa Rosa	$103,000	240	-37%
Stockton	$79,000	190	-59%
Vallejo	$63,000	70	-73%
Visalia	$101,000	80	-72%
Yuba City	$67,000	40	-46%

Colorado

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Boulder	$74,000	460	+39%
Colorado Springs	$46,000	510	-9%
Denver	$66,000	4,330	+53%
Fort Collins		480	+78%
Grand Junction	$47,000	70	-39%
Greeley		160	+7%
Pueblo	$77,000	40	-65%

Connecticut

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bridgeport	$168,000	5,500	+474%
Danbury	$104,000	60	-57%
Hartford	$116,000	660	-49%
New Haven	$115,000	340	-44%
Norwich		110	-58%
Waterbury	$137,000	60	-57%

Delaware

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Wilmington	$114,000	1,250	+72%

District of Columbia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Washington	$95,000	2,940	-47%

Florida

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Cape Coral	$104,000	420	-1%
Deltona	$61,000	190	-43%
Fort Lauderdale	$101,000	1,470	-7%
Fort Walton Beach	$74,000	220	+40%
Gainesville	$64,000	70	-73%
Jacksonville	$86,000	1,830	+35%
Lakeland		170	-59%
Miami	$91,000	3,040	+36%
Naples	$100,000	380	+60%
Ocala	$63,000	50	-73%
Orlando	$81,000	980	-58%
Palm Bay	$85,000	210	-51%
Panama City	$71,000	60	-57%
Pensacola	$72,000	160	-50%
Port St Lucie	$86,000	310	+22%
Punta Gorda	$92,000	40	-47%
Sarasota	$76,000	550	+1%
Sebastian	$88,000	100	+7%
Tallahassee	$81,000	220	-37%
Tampa	$76,000	3,120	+20%
West Palm Beach	$102,000	1,900	+62%

Georgia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Athens	$109,000	40	-73%
Atlanta	$105,000	2,840	-46%
Augusta	$110,000	270	-40%
Columbus	$77,000	140	-40%
Gainesville	$74,000	50	-65%
Macon	$45,000	70	-63%
Savannah	$84,000	90	-72%

Hawaii

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Honolulu	$66,000	550	-44%

Idaho

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Boise	$77,000	340	-41%
Idaho Falls	$37,000	30	-67%

Illinois

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bloomington	$112,000	110	-24%
Champaign		90	-58%
Chicago	$98,000	16,830	+96%
Decatur		90	+1%
Peoria	$86,000	120	-68%
Rockford	$82,000	230	-24%
Springfield	$81,000	260	+14%

Indiana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Anderson	$104,000	80	+9%
Bloomington	$54,000	120	-16%
Elkhart	$82,000	100	-56%
Evansville	$100,000	160	-57%
Fort Wayne	$66,000	310	-31%
Gary	$63,000	390	-35%
Indianapolis	$91,000	2,490	+22%
Kokomo		30	-60%
Lafayette	$69,000	80	-49%
Muncie	$80,000	110	+23%
South Bend	$66,000	190	-31%

Iowa

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Cedar Rapids	$79,000	200	-33%
Davenport	$57,000	290	-29%
Des Moines	$62,000	920	+25%
Dubuque	$100,000	60	-44%
Iowa City	$59,000	70	-52%
Sioux City	$52,000	110	-26%
Waterloo	$80,000	120	-33%

Kansas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Lawrence	$80,000	30	-65%
Topeka	$86,000	80	-66%
Wichita	$78,000	270	-58%

Kentucky

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bowling Green	$46,000	140	+25%
Elizabethtown	$72,000	70	-19%
Lexington	$56,000	300	-44%
Louisville	$78,000	1,360	-1%

Louisiana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Alexandria	$75,000	60	-54%
Baton Rouge	$70,000	500	-40%
Houma	$89,000	80	-60%
Lafayette	$79,000	120	-61%
Lake Charles	$55,000	90	-51%
Monroe	$71,000	220	+39%
New Orleans	$82,000	530	-56%
Shreveport	$59,000	150	-62%

Maine

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Lewiston	$66,000	40	-60%
Portland	$126,000	440	0%

Maryland

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Hagerstown	$90,000	40	-80%

Massachusetts

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Barnstable Town	$90,000	150	-28%
Boston	$102,000	7,380	+86%
Lowell	$89,000	60	-77%
New Bedford	$62,000	40	-70%
Peabody	$80,000	130	-40%
Pittsfield	$69,000	30	-51%
Springfield	$84,000	270	-59%
Worcester	$89,000	300	-46%

Michigan

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Ann Arbor	$66,000	310	-15%
Detroit	$63,000	1,160	-24%
Flint	$60,000	190	-32%
Grand Rapids	$59,000	700	-17%
Holland		110	-46%
Lansing	$61,000	280	-36%
Muskegon	$99,000	50	-55%
Warren	$73,000	2,770	+13%

Minnesota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Duluth	$88,000	200	-28%
Mankato		80	-29%
Minneapolis	$92,000	5,830	+44%
Rochester	$67,000	210	-3%
St Cloud	$80,000	120	-40%

Mississippi

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Hattiesburg	$82,000	30	-74%
Jackson	$78,000	170	-70%

Missouri

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Cape Girardeau	$77,000	70	-20%
Columbia	$80,000	80	-52%
Jefferson City	$81,000	70	-54%
Kansas City	$102,000	2,140	-7%
Springfield	$73,000	160	-62%
St Joseph	$111,000	40	-60%
St Louis	$72,000	3,110	+2%

Montana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Billings	$72,000	170	-3%
Missoula	$95,000	40	-62%

Nebraska

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Lincoln	$99,000	250	-28%
Omaha	$68,000	630	-41%

Nevada

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Las Vegas	$51,000	530	-73%
Reno	$46,000	530	+27%

New Hampshire

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Manchester	$81,000	100	-54%
Nashua		450	+52%
Portsmouth	$84,000	90	-22%

New Jersey

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Atlantic City	$92,000	90	-71%
Camden	$81,000	1,030	-13%
Edison	$87,000	2,710	+16%
Newark	$103,000	3,850	+69%
Trenton	$90,000	910	+81%
Vineland	$70,000	60	-51%

New Mexico

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Albuquerque	$84,000	270	-69%
Santa Fe	$123,000	110	-13%

New York

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Albany	$82,000	490	-52%
Binghamton	$110,000	120	-50%
Buffalo	$127,000	1,030	-18%
Kingston	$80,000	70	-43%
Nassau	$90,000	2,280	-21%
New York	$128,000	40,790	+243%
Poughkeepsie	$75,000	140	-74%
Rochester	$101,000	540	-53%
Syracuse	$106,000	320	-54%

North Carolina

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Asheville	$103,000	190	-51%
Burlington	$52,000	40	-65%
Charlotte	$121,000	2,260	+16%
Durham	$128,000	610	-1%
Fayetteville	$81,000	40	-85%
Greensboro	$76,000	340	-57%
Greenville	$80,000	40	-71%
Hickory	$73,000	70	-78%
Raleigh	$84,000	650	-44%
Rocky Mount	$112,000	50	-57%
Wilmington	$99,000	190	-35%
Winston Salem	$100,000	330	-29%

North Dakota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bismarck	$106,000	50	-62%
Fargo	$74,000	100	-62%

Ohio

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Akron	$66,000	600	-17%
Canton	$50,000	320	-12%
Cincinnati	$68,000	3,110	+35%
Cleveland	$79,000	2,760	+19%
Columbus	$68,000	1,880	-10%
Dayton	$50,000	670	-22%
Lima	$55,000	90	-14%
Mansfield	$90,000	80	-23%
Sandusky		50	-25%
Springfield	$67,000	50	-47%
Toledo	$78,000	590	-10%
Youngstown	$64,000	600	+20%

Oklahoma

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Oklahoma City	$96,000	510	-61%
Tulsa	$79,000	710	-27%

Oregon

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bend	$54,000	240	+87%
Eugene	$73,000	280	-8%
Medford	$80,000	150	-6%
Portland	$82,000	1,930	-17%
Salem		160	-51%

Pennsylvania

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Allentown	$96,000	340	-56%
Altoona	$45,000	70	-43%
Erie	$69,000	160	-42%
Harrisburg	$69,000	370	-48%
Lancaster	$66,000	320	-39%
Lebanon	$64,000	30	-66%
Philadelphia	$95,000	5,250	+21%
Pittsburgh	$81,000	2,220	-15%
Reading	$99,000	160	-56%
Scranton	$68,000	340	-41%
State College	$81,000	110	-14%
Williamsport	$69,000	40	-61%
York	$101,000	190	-51%

Rhode Island

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Providence	$98,000	630	-50%

South Carolina

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Charleston	$81,000	350	-45%
Columbia	$108,000	300	-62%
Greenville	$84,000	250	-63%
Myrtle Beach	$103,000	90	-61%
Spartanburg	$73,000	90	-63%

Tennessee

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Chattanooga	$70,000	140	-72%
Johnson City	$76,000	70	-53%
Kingsport	$114,000	80	-69%
Knoxville	$80,000	290	-61%
Memphis	$111,000	790	-43%
Nashville	$72,000	960	-43%

Texas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Abilene	$87,000	70	-45%
Amarillo	$99,000	120	-47%
Austin	$60,000	2,010	+13%
Beaumont	$83,000	150	-57%
Brownsville	$62,000	60	-79%
College Station	$70,000	80	-59%
Corpus Christi	$75,000	160	-59%
Dallas	$84,000	7,430	+55%
El Paso	$66,000	400	-34%
Fort Worth	$63,000	2,350	+20%
Houston	$102,000	7,970	+33%
Killeen	$82,000	60	-78%
Laredo	$64,000	50	-69%
Longview	$83,000	100	-50%
Lubbock		400	+48%
Midland		70	-45%
Odessa	$83,000	60	-47%
San Antonio	$69,000	2,170	+9%
Tyler		100	-47%
Victoria	$75,000	40	-58%
Waco	$51,000	240	+14%

Utah

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Logan	$39,000	70	-25%
Ogden	$63,000	80	-82%
Provo		50	-87%
Salt Lake City	$82,000	2,220	+61%

Vermont

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Burlington	$93,000	230	-3%

Virginia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Blacksburg	$79,000	40	-68%
Charlottesville	$89,000	120	-34%
Harrisonburg	$67,000	50	-56%
Lynchburg	$69,000	60	-71%
Richmond	$93,000	1,430	+3%
Roanoke	$66,000	280	-17%
Virginia Beach	$87,000	860	-50%

Washington

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bellingham	$54,000	120	-21%
Bremerton		40	-77%
Kennewick	$62,000	80	-62%
Mount Vernon	$85,000	80	-8%
Olympia	$50,000	70	-66%
Seattle	$83,000	2,820	-12%
Spokane	$54,000	400	-11%
Tacoma	$81,000	280	-52%
Yakima	$71,000	80	-54%

West Virginia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Charleston	$90,000	70	-78%
Huntington	$63,000	70	-71%
Parkersburg		70	-50%
Wheeling	$69,000	90	-32%

Wisconsin

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Eau Claire		70	-54%
Green Bay	$52,000	310	-16%
Janesville	$38,000	90	-30%
La Crosse	$56,000	40	-73%
Madison	$64,000	370	-51%
Milwaukee	$83,000	2,250	+19%
Oshkosh	$71,000	90	-51%
Racine	$63,000	50	-67%
Wausau	$41,000	70	-48%

Wyoming

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Casper	$49,000	30	-57%