Personal Financial Advisors Salary
The median pay for a personal financial advisors in Iowa is $92,310/year ($44.38/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $269K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.86), which stretches that salary to about $103,883 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,064/month, or 18.2% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Iowa. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $92K get you in Iowa?
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What this looks like in Iowa
Pay for personal financial advisors in Iowa runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $105K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,064/month, 18.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.86 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Iowa can be a reasonable trade-off for personal financial advisorss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Iowa
Entry-level personal financial advisors (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $92K. Top earners bring in $269K or more, a $218K spread from bottom to top.
Personal Financial Advisors salary by metro in Iowa
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $125K | +35% | 180 |
| Sioux City | $98K | +6% | 60 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $94K | +2% | 640 |
| Cedar Rapids | $93K | +1% | 250 |
| Ames | $91K | -2% | 40 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $91K | -2% | 120 |
| Iowa City | $90K | -3% | 70 |
| Dubuque | $90K | -3% | 160 |
Compare to other states
Track personal financial advisors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Iowa numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a personal financial advisor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Iowa?
Yes — at the median salary of $92K, rent takes 18.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,064/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for personal financial advisors in Iowa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new personal financial advisors typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,079/month. At HUD’s $1,064/month FMR, rent would take 35% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is personal financial advisor a high-paying job in Iowa?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $92K here vs. $105K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Iowa compare to the national average for personal financial advisors?
Iowa pays $92K median vs. the U.S. average of $105K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $104K — below the national median.
How much do personal financial advisors make in Iowa?
The median is $92,310 a year, that works out to about $44 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,310, and experienced personal financial advisors can clear $268,860. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $92K enough to live in Iowa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,708/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,064/month, which eats 18.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a personal financial advisors salary go in Iowa?
Iowa has a Regional Price Parity of 88.86 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median personal financial advisors salary is worth about $103,883 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do personal financial advisors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.