Executive Summary

About 472,300 securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents work nationally, and $78,140 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 5% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.8% annual growth.

Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents: what the data shows

Common questions about securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.

What is a securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents?

Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 41-3031.

U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 472,300 workers.

What does a securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents do?

O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Working with Computers, Getting Information, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Processing Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.

How much does a securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents make?

BLS national median annual wage: $78,140 (May 2024 in our extract).

Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $108,560 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.

Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).

Wage percentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$50,236
25th percentile$61,289
Median (50th)$80,922
75th percentile$128,376
90th percentile$196,680

What skills do you need?

O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making, Monitoring, Active Learning, Speaking, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Economics and Accounting, English Language, Mathematics. See Education & Skills for detail.

Is securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents in demand?

Historical employment trend in our series implies about 3.8% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).

Five-year projected employment change: 20.2%.

Ten-year projected employment change: 44.6%.

Current U.S. headcount: 472,300.

We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.

Where do securities, commodities, and financial services sales agentss work?

Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:

IndustryEmploymentShare
Cross-industry472,30019.9%
Cross-industry, Private Ownership only472,19019.9%
Finance and Insurance447,41018.8%
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities328,36013.8%
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities270,81011.4%
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only)246,06010.4%

See Industry for charts.

What degrees lead to this career?

Common majors for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents in O*NET:

See Related degrees.

What careers are related?

Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:

OccupationU.S. employmentMedian wage
Financial Managers818,620$161,700
Accountants and Auditors1,448,290$81,680
Personal Financial Advisors270,480$102,140
Financial Analysts340,580$101,350
Financial Examiners62,830$90,400
Airfield Operations Specialists16,640$56,750
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel1,189,330$66,260

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents workforce.

Employment Over Time

472,300 U.S. workforce (OEWS)

California employment for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents grew from 116,340 in 2009 to 209,820 in 2025 (80.4%).

Historical employment for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$78,140 Median pay (BLS national)

Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents earn $78,140 as the BLS national median annual wage.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

Salary distribution for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

Employment Growth Projections

3.8% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

252,280 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: 20.2%

303,333 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: 44.6%

This occupation is projected to grow at 3.8% annually, indicating strong future demand.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

Wage Trends by Industry

7.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • NY: 60,430 employees, $195,380 avg wage
  • CA: 54,170 employees, $106,170 avg wage
  • FL: 45,570 employees, $89,700 avg wage
  • TX: 39,900 employees, $103,040 avg wage
  • IL: 25,290 employees, $110,100 avg wage
  • NC: 18,530 employees, $96,780 avg wage
  • NJ: 16,940 employees, $117,720 avg wage
  • PA: 15,460 employees, $93,380 avg wage
  • AZ: 14,170 employees, $88,240 avg wage
  • GA: 14,140 employees, $91,540 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 65,000 employees, $191,710 avg wage
  • Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 21,880 employees, $113,010 avg wage
  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 21,050 employees, $99,640 avg wage
  • Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 15,130 employees, $106,750 avg wage
  • Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 13,760 employees, $113,840 avg wage
  • Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 11,650 employees, $90,150 avg wage
  • Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 10,870 employees, $100,940 avg wage
  • San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 10,310 employees, $134,430 avg wage
  • Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 10,140 employees, $99,140 avg wage
  • Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 9,890 employees, $99,750 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

Diversity

Demographic information on Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents in the US.

Gender and Age

The U.S. workforce for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents is about 472,300 people in our OEWS extract.

Gender and age distribution for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Marketing.

Common majors for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents workers.

Education level distribution for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

Skills

Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making, Monitoring, Active Learning.

Required skills for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents include Customer and Personal Service, Economics and Accounting, English Language, Mathematics, Sales and Marketing.

Knowledge areas required for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents include Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Deductive Reasoning, Written Comprehension, Speech Clarity.

Required abilities for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

Daily Activities

Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Getting Information, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Processing Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.

Most important work activities for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

About

Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents

Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents earn $78,140 as the BLS national median annual wage.

SOC Code

41-3031 - Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents

Insights and Analysis

High earnings profile: Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents reports an average salary of $108,560, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 472,300 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 3.8%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.