Hiring a personal financial advisor in Washington, DC

Do Washington residents in business and financial operations work earn more than employers in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area pay?

Washington residents working in business and financial operations occupations earn a median of $106,093 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $100,515 as the median of the 28 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 6%, with the residents figure the higher of the two.

Both sides of that figure describe the whole business and financial operations group, not this one role. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area the group covers 28 occupations BLS publishes a wage for, from tax preparers at $57,890 to financial examiners at $157,560 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with personal financial advisors at $106,230 inside it.

That comparison is between two different measures, not a pay gap. The two weight the same occupation group differently: the Census figure is the midpoint across the people who actually hold those jobs, so a group carrying a few very well paid occupations is pulled toward them, while the BLS figure is the midpoint across the 28 published occupation wages, which counts each of those occupations once whatever its headcount. Census also counts where people live and BLS counts where the jobs are, and the two cover different populations, Census the civilian employed population 16 and over, BLS wage-and-salary jobs only. Read the number against other cities, where the same definitional difference applies on both sides, rather than as a shortfall.

The two sit within 10% of each other, so residents of Washington and employers across the metro are priced about the same in this field, and pay alone is unlikely to be what wins or loses this hire.

Is the talent actually in Washington?

This is a job zone four: considerable preparation needed occupation. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not. O*NET OnLine, SOC 13-2052.

That matters here, because 63.6% of Washington adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That is a deep local pool for a degree-requiring role. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501, residents of Washington aged 25 and over.

The average Washington commute runs 30.3 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 29.4% of Washington workers already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that. Census ACS 5-year 2023, place-level commuting characteristics for Washington.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In District of Columbia, accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services employs 5,340 and turns over 8.7% a quarter, with 705 hires against 702 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $13,392 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 5412.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about personal financial advisors. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a normal churn rate, where a well-run search closes on schedule.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's $106,230 median in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would bill roughly $21,246 to $31,869 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Questions employers ask about hiring a personal financial advisor in Washington

What does it cost to hire a personal financial advisor in Washington?

Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340 per search, set by the seniority of the role and never by salary or location. A contingency firm billing 20 to 30% of this role's $106,230 median wage in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would charge roughly $21,246 to $31,869 on the first year salary alone.

What should an offer for a personal financial advisor in Washington look like?

Employers in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area pay personal financial advisors a median of $106,230, with the middle half of the market between $75,540 and $206,190 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A band set below $75,540 competes for the bottom quarter of that market.

Do Washington residents in business and financial operations work earn more than employers in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area pay?

Washington residents working in business and financial operations occupations earn a median of $106,093 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $100,515 as the median of the 28 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 6%. Both figures cover the whole occupation group rather than this one role, and one counts where people live while the other counts where the jobs are, so the percentage is not a pay gap.

Is the talent for this role already in Washington?

This is a job zone 4 occupation, which usually calls for a bachelor's degree, and 63.6% of Washington adults hold one or higher (Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501). That is a deep local pool for a degree-requiring role.

Related

• Hiring Personal Financial Advisors: the role, the pay, the process
• Recruiting services in Washington
• Every District of Columbia city we cover

Washington is the largest of 1 District of Columbia cities in this dataset.