Personal Financial Advisors Salary
The median pay for a personal financial advisors in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA is $90,520/year ($43.52/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $287K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.06), which stretches that salary to about $103,974 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,051/month, or 18.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $91K get you in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Waterloo-Cedar Falls’s Regional Price Parity (87.06). 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls
Pay for personal financial advisors in Waterloo-Cedar Falls runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $105K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,051/month, 18.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.06 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Waterloo-Cedar Falls 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, 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, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
Entry-level personal financial advisors (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $91K. Top earners bring in $287K or more, a $244K 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a personal financial advisor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Yes — at the median salary of $91K, rent takes 18.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,051/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for personal financial advisors in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new personal financial advisors typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,578/month. At HUD’s $1,051/month FMR, rent would take 41% 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $91K here vs. $105K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Waterloo-Cedar Falls compare to the national average for personal financial advisors?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls pays $91K median vs. the U.S. average of $105K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $104K — below the national median.
How much do personal financial advisors make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
The median is $90,520 a year, that works out to about $44 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,960, and experienced personal financial advisors can clear $286,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $91K enough to live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,611/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,051/month, which eats 18.7% 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls has a Regional Price Parity of 87.06 (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 $103,974 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.