Financial Advisor.
Houston.
$85,000
median salary, 3% below the national average
$60,000 to $121,000. Last updated August 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating a Financial Advisor offer in Houston, TX, here is the reality: $60,000 to $121,000, with $85,000 as the midpoint. 3% below the national average. Assets under management (AUM) and client acquisition ability are the dominant pay factors. Do not accept the first number. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Financial Advisor in Houston, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $98,930 for Personal Financial Advisors (SOC 13-2052) in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan area, based on 4,130 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$49,120
25th percentile
$72,270
Median
$98,930
75th percentile
$162,290
90th percentile
$323,990
Workers surveyed
4,130
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Personal Financial Advisors (SOC 13-2052) rather than Financial Advisor specifically. The Houston range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 13-2052Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $77,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$55,000
to $68,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$72,000
to $89,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$94,000
to $111,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$106,000
to $132,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $20,000 to the total package.
Base
$85,000
Equity
$11,000
Bonus
$7,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $105,000
How Houston compares.
Houston, TX
$85,000
Cost of living: 3% below average
National Average
$88,000
Houston is $3,000 below
Financial Advisor salary by city.
Salary by role in Houston.
What you should know.
The Financial Advisor landscape in Houston is not what most salary sites will tell you. Houston's economy is deeply rooted in energy, with a growing presence in healthcare, aerospace, and technology. The Texas Medical Center is the world's largest, driving massive demand for clinical and research roles. Houston's low cost of living and no state income tax make it an attractive destination for professionals seeking strong purchasing power. Assets under management (AUM) and client acquisition ability are the dominant pay factors. Advisors managing $50 million or more in AUM earn substantially more through fee-based compensation. The wirehouse versus independent RIA distinction matters: wirehouses offer higher base salaries, while independent advisors have higher long-term earnings potential.
Associate advisors earn $50,000 to $70,000 during training. Advisors with established books earn $80,000 to $130,000. Senior advisors managing $50 million or more in AUM reach $150,000 to $250,000. Partners and principals at RIA firms with large AUM can earn $300,000 to $1 million or more. In Houston, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Fee-based advisors earn 0.5 to 1.5% of AUM annually, making a $100 million book worth $500,000 to $1.5 million in annual revenue before firm payout. Commission-based advisors earn front-end loads and trailing commissions. Production bonuses and retention bonuses add 10 to 30% at wirehouses. And on the tax side: texas has no state income tax, giving Houston workers strong take home pay. The city's overall cost of living is below the national average, further stretching your salary. When someone quotes you $85,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Emphasize industry specialization in energy or healthcare. Houston employers pay significant premiums for domain expertise in these sectors over generalist candidates. The range for Financial Advisors in Houston runs from $60,000 to $121,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- An Operations Manager in Houston earns $87,000 (2% more)
- The highest-paying role in Houston is CTO at $285,000
Common questions.
Financial Advisor salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Houston.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Financial Advisors in Houston.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Financial Advisor Salary in Houston, TX." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/financial-advisor/houston
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