If you are undaunted by numbers, excel at strategic data analysis and enjoy collaborating to help clients make every dollar count, you may want to consider a career path as a financial advisor.
What is a financial advisor?
Financial advisors are business professionals who help clients manage their money and plan for their financial future.
Opportunities to choose your industry and work environment are vast for financial advisors, as these professionals areneeded across every industryfor both for-profit and nonprofit organizations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Many financial advisorsjoin companies that offer financial products and services, such as investment firms, banks, insurance companies and businesses, BLS notes, while others are self-employed. Financial advisorsmight hold titleslike certified financial planner, financial consultant, investment advisor, portfolio manager and wealth advisor, according to O*NET.
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Entrusted to make recommendations based on their expertise, a financial advisor may be knowledgeable in some or all of the following:
Corporate finance
Financial data
Client services
Financial services
Investments
Wealth management
Financial institutions
- Financial industry regulatory authorities
- Equity markets
- Profit and loss (P&L) management
Financial portfolios
Financial modeling
Retirement planning
Benefits planning
Enrollment plans
Financial statements
Business ethics
Financial management strategies
Soft skills
Regularly used on the job
Active listening, reading comprehension, strong verbal communication, writing and critical thinking are a few of the valuablesoft skillsa financial advisor may regularly use on the job, according to O*NET.
Salary range $61 - 161K
25th to 75th percentile
Financial advisors within the 25th and 75th percentiles earned between $61,960 and $165,590 in 2022, according to nationwide statistics from BLS.[1]
25,600
Annual job opportunities
Job opportunities for financial advisors are increasing much faster than average, according to BLS. With an estimated 25,600 jobs opening nationally every year, this field isprojected to grow 13%from 2022-2032.
[1] Salary ranges are not specific to students or graduates of University of Phoenix. Actual outcomes vary based on multiple factors, including prior work experience, geographic location and other factors specific to the individual. University of Phoenix does not guarantee employment, salary level or career advancement. BLS data is geographically based. Information for a specific state/city can be researched on the BLS website.
Education and experience
You can pursue a career as a financial advisor in a few ways. While most companies do not require a specific degree specialization, a bachelor’s degree is usually needed to qualify for financial advisor positions, according to BLS. Like many aspiring financial professionals, you could pursue a degree in business, social science, or math, as noted by BLS. If you have a bachelor’s degree in a different field, undergraduate certificate programs are another way you can work toward this career path.
University of Phoenix offers undergraduate certificate and degree programs aligned to this career. To get started, you could enroll in our Bachelor of Science in Business program with a financial planning certificate. The undergraduate certificate can also be taken separately and is designed to support individuals — who have already earned or are working towards a bachelor’s degree — looking to specialize or expand their expertise within the field.
Each course in the highlighted programs is five weeks long, and students work to complete one course at a time. Learn more about which of these programs, designed to teach you the skills you’ll need as a financial advisor, is right for you.
Financial planning certificate (undergraduate)
This undergraduate certificate program could be just the educational support you need if you:
- Have a bachelor’s degree in a non-business area and are looking to pivot your career path
- Have a business degree but would like to dive deeper into the concepts of financial decision making
The included courses are designed to equip you with an entry-level understanding of financial planning concepts, theories and practices that can qualify you to become a financial advisor, such as:
- Financial decision making
- Personal financial planning
- Strategic financial management
- Financial institutions
- Investment fundamentals and portfolio management
- Retirement and benefit planning
You can take the required six courses in as short as seven months and will need to complete all 18 credits to earn your certificate.
Bachelor of Science in Business with a financial planning certificate
Our Bachelor of Science in Business program may be a suitable academic pathway for individuals looking to build a well-rounded foundation in business knowledge concepts and skills. For students working towards a career as a financial advisor, theBachelor of Science in Business with a financial planning certificateis recommended.
The included courses are designed to teach students how to:
- Integrate decision-making skills to address business needs
- Integrate business concepts and principles to advance organizational goals
- Analyze interrelationships among distinct functional areas of an organization
- Analyze logistics involved in global business operations
- Examine areas of financial planning that can be used to improve decision making
- Analyze financial information to improve operational performance
In this program, you are required to complete 120 credits through courses in general education, core topics and elective subjects, as well as the six certificate courses outlined in the section above. The length for this program is four years.
