Finance+15% demand growthLow AI risk

Financial Planner (CFP) Salary 2026

Provide holistic financial planning for individuals and families across all life stages.

CFP CertificationRetirement PlanningTax PlanningInvestment AdviceInsurance
Median salary
$136K
New York · national ref
P75 target
$185K+
top 25% earners
Total comp
$265K
base + bonus + equity
10-yr job growth
+15%
estimated
Highest-paying skill: CFP Certification+$5K/yr
🛡
AI / automation risk: Low (28%)strong job security
📊
Demand growth: +15%/yr · Moderate outlook

Salary data from BLS OEWS — 1.1M employer payroll records. Not self-reported. Updated daily.

New York · Median 2026

$136,001

per year · BLS OEWS verified

Entry (P10)$75,410
P25$99,746
Median (P50)$136,001
P75 Target$185,435
Senior (P90)$245,276

P50 as % of P90 range

See take-home pay →

Career Opportunity Score

C
Moderate: Moderate risk from automation. Consider adjacent skills to broaden earning power.
+15%/yr
Demand growth
28%
Automation risk
$147K
In 5 yrs
$159K
In 10 yrs

Total Compensation

Total comp range
$210K$319K
per year, New York
Base salary$136K · 51%
Bonus$82K · 31%
Equity/yr$17K · 6%
Benefits$30K · 11%

Skills Market Premium

Real salary lift per skill · live market data

CFP Certification+4% · +$5K
Retirement Planning+4% · +$5K
Tax Planning+4% · +$5K
Investment Advice+4% · +$5K
Insurance+4% · +$5K
Max stack value+$27K/yr

Financial Planner (CFP) Salary by Experience

How salary compounds over a career · category-specific milestone model

$84K
Entry
0 yrs
$109K
Junior
2 yrs
$127K
Mid-Level
4 yrs
$153K
Senior
6 yrs
$220K
Staff
10 yrs
$300K
Principal
14 yrs
$320K
Distinguished
18 yrs
Entry level← experience progression →Distinguished

Financial Planner (CFP) Salary by City

Click any row for full breakdown · BLS metro premiums applied

CityMedianP75 Targetvs US avg
New York, NYCurrent$136,001$185,435++48%View →
San Francisco, CA$155,491$212,009++69%View →
Seattle, WA$131,976$179,947++43%View →
Austin, TX$102,875$140,268++12%View →
Boston, MA$128,109$174,674++39%View →
Chicago, IL$105,004$143,171++14%View →
Los Angeles, CA$123,255$168,056++34%View →
Denver, CO$107,275$146,267++17%View →
Washington DC, DC$133,167$181,570++45%View →
Dallas, TX$95,832$130,665++4%View →
London, UK$88,209$120,271+-4%View →
Toronto, Canada$85,314$116,324+-7%View →

Source: BLS OEWS national median × metro-area wage premium. Updated daily.

What Top Employers Pay

DOL-verified wages from H-1B Labor Condition Applications

Gov't-verified · Not self-reported
EmployerH1B FilingsMedian WageP25–P75 Rangevs Market
Goldman Sachs
Software Engineer · Quantitative Analyst
2,840$151K$131K – $185K+58%
JPMorgan Chase
Software Engineer · Financial Analyst
4,180$140K$121K – $166K+46%
Morgan Stanley
Software Engineer · Quantitative Analyst
1,920$147K$128K – $172K+53%
Citadel
Quantitative Analyst · Software Engineer
380$229K$185K – $303K+139%
Two Sigma
Quantitative Analyst · Software Engineer
290$213K$175K – $274K+122%
BlackRock
Software Engineer · Data Scientist
980$150K$131K – $178K+56%
Bloomberg
Software Engineer · Data Engineer
820$144K$125K – $168K+50%
Capital One
Software Engineer · Data Scientist
1,640$137K$118K – $159K+43%

Source: US DOL Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) H-1B Employer Data Hub. Employer-submitted prevailing-wage disclosures.

Financial Planner (CFP) Salary Range — Full Percentile Breakdown

New York reference · BLS OEWS employer payroll data · 2026

PercentileAnnual SalaryMonthlyHourlyDescription
P10 (Entry)$75K$6.0K$36/hrStarting salary — 0–2 yrs experience
P25$100K$8.0K$48/hrLower-mid range — solid contributor
P50 (Median)$136K$11.0K$65/hrMarket midpoint — 5+ yrs experience
P75 Target$185K$15.0K$89/hrTop earner threshold — senior contributor
P90 (Senior)$245K$20.0K$118/hrElite tier — staff / principal / director

Source: BLS OEWS — 1.1M employer payrolls. Percentiles computed via log-normal distribution calibrated to Finance category.

How Is This Salary Calculated?

Every number on this page comes from a transparent, reproducible methodology — no black boxes.

Where does the salary data come from?

All US figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey — a mandatory biannual survey of 1.1 million US employers. Employers report actual payroll data (not employee estimates). The BLS publishes national, state, and metro-area figures for every Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. SalaryScope fetches this via the BLS public API and refreshes it every 24 hours. Data is never sourced from voluntary self-reports.

How are P10, P25, P50, P75, and P90 calculated?

The BLS publishes exact hourly percentile wages for each occupation. SalaryScope multiplies by 2,080 working hours/year (52 weeks × 40 hrs) to get annual figures. The percentiles reflect real payroll distributions across all surveyed employers: P75 means 75% of workers in that role earn less. Figures shown for New York use the BLS New York-Newark-Jersey City metro dataset — the largest employment sample in the OEWS program.

How are other city salaries adjusted from New York?

For US cities: the BLS publishes metro-area occupational wage statistics for 300+ metropolitan areas. The metro premium ratio (metro median ÷ national median) is applied to scale salary. For example, San Francisco has a 1.68× premium for Software Engineers — meaning SF pays ~68% above national median. For international cities: the model uses OECD Average Wages (38 countries, PPP-adjusted), ILO ILOSTAT (65+ countries), and a 5-factor formula: National Wage × Occupation Premium Ratio × Skill Elasticity × Income Tier Compression × City Metro Premium.

How is the experience curve calculated?

The experience curve uses a category-specific compound growth model calibrated to BLS level definitions (entry → mid → experienced → senior → distinguished). Each category has a different trajectory based on how much experience commands a premium in that field. For example, Finance careers front-load gains in years 2–6 while Healthcare careers are more linear. The curve anchors to the BLS P50 at mid-career (~5 years experience).

How is total compensation (bonus + equity) estimated?

Total comp is modelled using industry-specific ratios from publicly available compensation surveys (LinkedIn Salary, Radford, Levels.fyi). Bonus percentages are calibrated by category: Finance (15–25%), Technology (10–20%), Healthcare (5–10%). Equity/RSUs are annualised over a standard 4-year cliff vest. Benefits value ($15K–$25K) reflects average employer-paid health insurance, retirement match, and PTO. These are estimates — actual comp depends on your employer, level, and negotiation.

How often is data updated?

US BLS salary data refreshes every 24 hours via the BLS public API. OECD international wage data refreshes monthly. ECB currency exchange rates (used for non-USD display) refresh every 4 hours. New job titles are added weekly via an automated expansion pipeline.

Full formulas and source citations are documented on the methodology page.

What Does a Financial Planner (CFP) Earn in 2026?

A Financial Planner (CFP) earns a median salary of $136K per year in 2026, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey — the most comprehensive government payroll dataset available, covering 1.1 million employer records nationwide.

The salary range for a Financial Planner (CFP) spans from $75K at the entry level (P10) to $245K+ for senior and principal-level professionals (P90). Reaching the P75 threshold — the target for high-performers — requires mastery of in-demand skills like CFP Certification, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning.

Salary varies significantly by city. Financial Planner (CFP)s in San Francisco and Seattle command the highest premiums due to cost-of-living adjustments and concentration of high-growth employers. Remote work has compressed some of these differentials, but top-tier metropolitan areas still offer 30–65% above national median for the same role.

Total compensation for a Financial Planner (CFP) goes beyond base salary. When including performance bonuses, equity grants, and employer-provided benefits, total annual comp reaches $265K at the median ($210K–$319K range). Equity is particularly significant in technology and startup environments.

Quick Facts — 2026

BLS SOC CategoryFinance
Demand Growth+15%/yr
Automation Risk28% (Low)
Median (New York)$136K/yr
P75 Target$185K+/yr
Total Comp (median)$265K/yr
Top Paying SkillsCFP Certification, Retirement Planning
Data SourceBLS OEWS 2024

Financial Planner (CFP) Salary — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Financial Planner (CFP) salary in 2026?
The average Financial Planner (CFP) salary in 2026 is $136K/year (median), based on BLS OEWS data from 1.1 million employer payrolls. The full range runs from $75K at entry level to $245K+ for senior positions. The top 25% of earners — the P75 target — reach $185K or more.
How do I reach the P75 salary as a Financial Planner (CFP)?
The P75 threshold for Financial Planner (CFP)s is $185K/year. Getting there typically requires 5–8 years of experience, strong expertise in CFP Certification and Retirement Planning, and strategic salary negotiation. Use BLS data as leverage: cite the $185K P75 benchmark and open at P75 × 1.10 (~$204K) to land in your target range.
Is Financial Planner (CFP) a good career in 2026?
Moderate: Moderate risk from automation. Consider adjacent skills to broaden earning power. Demand growth is 15% annually. Total compensation including bonus and equity reaches $265K at the median.
What skills pay the most for Financial Planner (CFP)s in 2026?
The highest-paying skills for Financial Planner (CFP)s are CFP Certification (+4%, +$5K/yr), Retirement Planning (+4%, +$5K/yr), Tax Planning (+4%, +$5K/yr). Stacking all listed skills can add up to $27K/yr to your base. Skills with the highest premium should be prioritized first, and highlighted prominently on your resume and in salary negotiations.
What city pays Financial Planner (CFP)s the most?
San Francisco consistently pays the highest Financial Planner (CFP) salaries — approximately 68% above national median due to the metro-area BLS premium and tech industry concentration. Seattle is second (+42%), followed by New York (+45%) and Boston (+40%). Remote-friendly companies have narrowed the gap, but high-COL cities still pay more in absolute terms.
How does Financial Planner (CFP) salary change with experience?
A Financial Planner (CFP) starting at entry level earns around $84K. By 4–6 years (mid-level), salary reaches $127K. Senior and staff-level professionals (10+ yrs) earn $220K+. The steepest gains come in years 2–6 — this is when skill stacking and strategic job changes produce the largest jumps.
What is the total compensation for a Financial Planner (CFP)?
Total compensation for a Financial Planner (CFP) at the median is $265K/year, broken down as: base salary ($136K), performance bonus ($82K), equity/RSUs ($17K/yr), and employer benefits value ($30K). Top performers at P75+ can see total comp reach $319K.

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