Sales
Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
Buy and sell securities or commodities in investment and trading firms, or provide financial services to businesses and individuals. May advise customers about stocks, bonds, mutual funds, commodities, and market conditions.
Median pay
$78,660
Growth to 2035
+1%
little or no change
Openings a year
35,100
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents: 44% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Make bids or offers to buy or sell securities.
- Monitor markets or positions.
- Agree on buying or selling prices at optimal levels for clients.
- Keep accurate records of transactions.
- Buy or sell stocks, bonds, commodity futures, foreign currencies, or other securities on behalf of investment dealers.
- Complete sales order tickets and submit for processing of client-requested transactions.
- Report all positions or trading results.
- Interview clients to determine clients' assets, liabilities, cash flow, insurance coverage, tax status, or financial objectives.
Also called: Broker · Commodities Broker · Equity Trader · Financial Advisor · Financial Consultant · Investment Representative · Investments Advisor · Investments Specialist
Outlook and AI
Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents held 531,000 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 538,500 by 2035 (+1%, little or no change; all jobs: +3.5%).
Productivity change - share decreases as technology allows workers to analyze data more efficiently.
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