Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Sales and Related · SOC 41-3031 · O*NET 41-3031.00
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.
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents fall under the Sales and Related category in the U.S. occupational classification. Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents earn a median salary of $78,140 per year, ranking in the top 26% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +3.3% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents earn?
The median annual wage for securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents is $78,140. That puts securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents at #210 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $47,080 |
| 25th percentile | $51,600 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $78,140 |
| 75th percentile | $129,480 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $215,210 |
| Median hourly wage | $37.57/hr |
Is securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents is +3.3%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 514K positions in 2024 to 531K in 2034, a net change of 17K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Make bids or offers to buy or sell securities.
- 2.Monitor markets or positions.
- 3.Agree on buying or selling prices at optimal levels for clients.
- 4.Keep accurate records of transactions.
- 5.Buy or sell stocks, bonds, commodity futures, foreign currencies, or other securities on behalf of investment dealers.
- 6.Complete sales order tickets and submit for processing of client-requested transactions.
- 7.Report all positions or trading results.
- 8.Interview clients to determine clients' assets, liabilities, cash flow, insurance coverage, tax status, or financial objectives.
Top skills for securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become securities, commodities, and financial services sales agent?
Many securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents enter the field with a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, though employers increasingly favor candidates with certifications or some postsecondary coursework. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
- Sales Engineers$121,520 median
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products$100,070 median
- Models$89,990 median
- First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers$84,130 median
- Real Estate Brokers$72,280 median
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products$66,780 median
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
What is the median salary for securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents?
The median annual salary for securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents is $78,140 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents a growing career?
BLS projects +3.3% growth for securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become securities, commodities, and financial services sales agent?
The typical entry path requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents?
Related occupations within the Sales and Related category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.