Personal Financial Advisors Salary
The median pay for a personal financial advisors in Iowa City, IA is $89,860/year ($43.2/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $56K at the entry level to $285K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.51), which stretches that salary to about $98,197 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $962/month, or 16.9% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $90K actually covers in Iowa City, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Iowa City’s Regional Price Parity (91.51). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About personal financial advisors
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What this looks like in Iowa City
Pay for personal financial advisors in Iowa City runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $105K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $962/month, 17.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.51 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Iowa City can be a reasonable trade-off for personal financial advisorss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for personal financial advisors in metros near Iowa City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $94K | $103K |
| Cedar Rapids | $93K | $105K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $125K | $140K |
| Dubuque | $90K | $103K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Iowa City, IA
Entry-level personal financial advisors (10th percentile) start around $56K. Mid-career wages sit at $90K. Top earners bring in $285K or more, a $229K spread from bottom to top.
Personal Financial Advisors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Personal Financial Advisors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $166K | +58% | 21,550 |
| New Jersey | $159K | +51% | 9,300 |
| California | $130K | +24% | 32,200 |
| Connecticut | $130K | +23% | N/A |
| South Dakota | $129K | +23% | 620 |
| Massachusetts | $126K | +20% | N/A |
| Delaware | $125K | +19% | N/A |
| Oregon | $123K | +17% | 3,070 |
| Illinois | $120K | +14% | 9,760 |
| Wisconsin | $119K | +14% | 5,200 |
| Washington | $114K | +9% | 5,790 |
| Vermont | $110K | +5% | 520 |
| Pennsylvania | $105K | +0% | 12,200 |
| District of Columbia | $105K | -0% | 480 |
| Minnesota | $103K | -2% | 5,280 |
| Virginia | $103K | -2% | 6,340 |
| Kansas | $103K | -2% | 4,150 |
| Georgia | $101K | -3% | 6,830 |
| Florida | $101K | -4% | 21,490 |
| Missouri | $100K | -5% | 4,480 |
| Maryland | $100K | -5% | 5,260 |
| Texas | $99K | -6% | 18,200 |
| Montana | $97K | -7% | N/A |
| Arizona | $97K | -8% | 6,430 |
| North Carolina | $97K | -8% | 12,340 |
| New Hampshire | $97K | -8% | 1,850 |
| South Carolina | $96K | -8% | 2,400 |
| Idaho | $94K | -10% | 760 |
| New Mexico | $94K | -10% | 610 |
| Nebraska | $93K | -11% | 2,210 |
| Nevada | $93K | -12% | 1,730 |
| Iowa | $92K | -12% | 1,920 |
| Ohio | $91K | -13% | 7,680 |
| Colorado | $89K | -15% | 6,730 |
| Indiana | $88K | -17% | 5,400 |
| Tennessee | $84K | -20% | 3,970 |
| Rhode Island | $80K | -24% | 1,130 |
| West Virginia | $80K | -24% | 670 |
| Arkansas | $79K | -24% | 1,320 |
| Alaska | $79K | -25% | N/A |
| Alabama | $78K | -26% | 2,540 |
| Michigan | $78K | -26% | 6,570 |
| Wyoming | $77K | -26% | 310 |
| Utah | $77K | -26% | 2,520 |
| North Dakota | $77K | -27% | 540 |
| Hawaii | $76K | -28% | 550 |
| Oklahoma | $69K | -35% | 1,140 |
| Kentucky | $67K | -36% | 2,040 |
| Mississippi | $63K | -40% | 790 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track personal financial advisors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Iowa City numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a personal financial advisor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Iowa City?
Yes — at the median salary of $90K, rent takes 17.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $962/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for personal financial advisors in Iowa City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new personal financial advisors typically earn — is $56K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,695/month. At HUD’s $962/month FMR, rent would take 26% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is personal financial advisor a high-paying job in Iowa City?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $90K here vs. $105K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Iowa City compare to the national average for personal financial advisors?
Iowa City pays $90K median vs. the U.S. average of $105K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.51), the purchasing-power equivalent is $98K — below the national median.
How much do personal financial advisors make in Iowa City, IA?
The median is $89,860 a year, that works out to about $43 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $56,090, and experienced personal financial advisors can clear $285,040. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $90K enough to live in Iowa City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,576/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $962/month, which eats 17.3% 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 City?
Iowa City has a Regional Price Parity of 91.51 (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 $98,197 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.