Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
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Overview
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.
Highlights
Undergraduate program resulting in the highest median salary ($91K): Mathematics
Largest undergraduate program (16.4% of workers): Finance
Explore Pathways
Titles for this career often contain these words
TraderSalesRepresentativeFinancialBrokerSpecialistInvestmentAccountBankerAgentServicesManagerSecuritiesBondAssociateStockServiceConsultantAdvisorAdministratorExecutiveLeaderBranchBusinessClientCommoditiesCommodityFloorFundOfficerMarketMutualPersonalSpeculatorBankSavingsBlockBuyerCharteredAnalystCFACorporateCottonCustomerDayDealerEquitiesEquityFieldMarketingFinanceReportFiscalFlowForeignExchangeForexFuturesGrainHedgeHybridDerivativesInsideInvestmentsLoanMakerOperatorMoneyMunicipalFundsOnlineOptionOptionsOutsideProprietaryQuantitativeRealTimeRegisteredRelationshipRetailProfessionalAdviserLendingSelectStockbrokerSupplyTradingTrustWholesale
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Responsibilities and activities

Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents typically do the following:

  • Contact prospective clients to present information and explain available services
  • Offer advice on the purchase or sale of particular securities
  • Buy and sell securities, such as stocks and bonds
  • Buy and sell commodities, such as corn, oil, and gold
  • Monitor financial markets and the performance of individual securities
  • Analyze company finances to provide recommendations for public offerings, mergers, and acquisitions
  • Evaluate cost and revenue of agreements

Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents deal with a wide range of products and clients. Agents spend much of the day interacting with people, whether selling stock to an individual or discussing the status of a merger deal with a company executive. The work is usually stressful because agents deal with large amounts of money and have time constraints.

A security or commodity can be traded in two ways: electronically or in an auction-style setting on the floor of an exchange market. Markets such as the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation system (NASDAQ) use vast computer networks rather than human traders to match buyers and sellers. Others, such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), rely on floor brokers to complete transactions.

The following are examples of types of securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents:

Brokers sell securities and commodities directly to individual clients. They advise people on appropriate investments based on the client’s needs and financial ability. The people they advise may have very different levels of expertise in financial matters.

Finding clients is a large part of a broker’s job. They must create their own client base by calling from a list of potential clients. Some agents network by joining social groups, and others may rely on referrals from satisfied clients.

Investment bankers connect businesses that need money to finance their operations or expansion plans with investors who are interested in providing that funding. This process is called underwriting, and it is the main function of investment banks. The banks first sell their advisory services to help companies issue new stocks or bonds, and then the banks sell the issued securities to investors.

Some of the most important services that investment bankers provide are initial public offerings (IPOs), and mergers and acquisitions. An IPO is the process by which a company becomes open for public investment by issuing its first stock. Investment bankers must estimate how much the company is worth and ensure that it meets the legal requirements to become publicly traded.

Investment bankers also connect companies in mergers (when two companies join together) and acquisitions (when one company buys another). Investment bankers provide advice throughout the process to ensure that the transaction goes smoothly.

Investment banking sales agents and traders carry out buy and sell orders for stocks, bonds, and commodities from clients and make trades on behalf of the firm itself. Investment banks primarily employ these workers, although some work for commercial banks, hedge funds, and private equity groups. Because markets fluctuate so much, trading is a split-second decisionmaking process. Slight changes in the price of a trade can greatly affect its profitability, making the trader’s decision extremely important.

Floor brokers work directly on the floor—a large room where trading is done—of a securities or commodities exchange. After a trader places an order for a security, floor brokers negotiate the price, make the sale, and forward the purchase price to the trader.

Financial services sales agents consult on a wide variety of banking, securities, insurance, and related services to individuals and businesses, often catering the services to meet the client’s financial needs. They contact potential clients to explain their services, which may include the handling of checking accounts, loans, certificates of deposit, individual retirement accounts, credit cards, and estate and retirement planning.

Salary
Median salary: $64,770 annually
Half of those employed in this career earn between $45,930 and $116,020.
$65K$0$20K$40K$60K$80K$100K$120K
Note: The salaries for securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents have been top-coded by the BLS; in 2019, all annual salaries larger than # are recorded as #.
Context: Median Salary
How do salaries for this career compare to other jobs' salaries?
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Salary growth for securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
Is this job likely to reward you for sticking with it through pay raises and promotions? The higher a job’s “experience quotient,” the more you are likely to get as you stay there.
Experience quotient percentile
Take a minute to look at how much you might expect your salary to increase with each five years' experience, as well as how the numbers working at each age change. Does this seem to be a job for the young or the old, or could it be a career offering steady salary growth for many years?
Salary distribution
$75K$68K$69K$76K$37K$68K$75K$53K$67K$0$50K$100K$150K$200K20-2425-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-64
Number employed
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About Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
How do benefits for this career compare to other jobs? The availability of health care, especially employer provided health care, and pension plans can add significantly to the value of compensation you receive in a career. These charts compare how this career compares to other careers with regard to health care and pension plans.
Employee has health insurance
Employer is providing health insurance
Employer-provided pension plan is available
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Personality and skills
Can you see yourself in the ranks of Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents? Here are the skills and traits that could lead to success.
Analytical skills
To judge the profitability of potential deals, securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents must have strong analytical skills. This includes computer programming skills which they use to analyze financial products.
Customer-service skills
Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents must be persuasive and make clients feel comfortable with the agent’s recommendations.
Decisionmaking skills
Investment banking traders must make split-second decisions, with large sums of money at stake.
Detail oriented
Investment bankers must pay close attention to the details of initial public offerings and mergers and acquisitions because small changes can have large consequences.
Initiative
Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents must create their own client base by making “cold” sales calls to people to whom they have not been referred and to people not expecting the call.
Math skills
Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents need to be familiar with mathematical tools, including investment formulas.
Injury and Illness
About 8 securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents become injured or ill for every 10,000 workers, which reflects fewer events than in 54% of other careers. The most common specific concerns detailed following.
Soreness and pain
Education pathways to this career
Education attained by securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents typically hold a bachelor's degree.
Sometimes the typical education identified by the BLS differs a bit from the reality of the how much education current workers actually have. The donut shows the education level held by people currently working as securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents as reported in responses to the American Community Survey.
Details: Education and training recommended for securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents

Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents generally must have a bachelor’s degree to get an entry-level job. Courses in business, finance, accounting, or economics are important, especially for larger firms. Many firms hire summer interns before their last year of college, and those who are most successful are offered full-time jobs after they graduate.

Numerous agents eventually get a master’s degree in business administration (MBA), which is often a requirement for high-level positions in the securities industry. Because the MBA exposes students to real-world business practices, it can be a major asset for jobseekers. Employers often reward MBA holders with higher level positions, better compensation, and large signing bonuses.

Details: Licensing and certification recommended for securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents

Brokers and investment bankers must register as representatives of their firm with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). To obtain the license, potential agents must pass a series of exams.

Many other licenses are available, each of which gives the holder the right to sell different investment products and services. Traders and some other sales representatives also need licenses, although these vary by firm and specialization. Financial services sales agents may need to be licensed, especially if they sell securities or insurance. Most firms offer training to help their employees pass the licensing exams.

Agents who are registered with FINRA must attend continuing education classes to keep their licenses. Courses consist of computer-based training on legal requirements or new financial products or services.

Although not always required, certification enhances professional standing and is recommended by employers. Brokers, investment bankers, and financial services sales agents can earn the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification, sponsored by the CFA Institute. To qualify for this certification, applicants need a bachelor’s degree or 4 years of related work experience and must pass three exams, which require several hundred hours of independent study. Applicants also must have an international passport. Exams cover subjects in accounting, economics, securities analysis, financial markets and instruments, corporate finance, asset valuation, and portfolio management. Applicants can take the exams while they are getting the required work experience.

Education level of Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
About 72% of securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents have at least a bachelor's degree.
Education attained by securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
None
High School
Some College
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
Professional Degree
Doctorate
Top college degrees
Here are the top college degrees held by the 70% of people in this job who have at least a bachelor's degree. Some of degrees may link to multiple programs due to the way Census classifies college majors. Click on a program to learn more about career opportunities for people who major in that field.
  1. Finance
  2. Economics
  3. Business/Commerce
  4. Business Management and Administration
  5. Marketing
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College majors held by securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
This table shows the college majors held by people working as securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents. If you see "**" before the name of a degree/program, that means this field is one that the Department of Education believes is preparatory for this career. However, you can see from this list that those recommendations are far from your only path to this job!
Salary comparison for bachelor's only
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Career salary (tail) versus Career/Major salary (dot)
Does the bachelor's-only salary rise or fall with this major?
$53K$91K
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Median
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Salary for all workers
For people with this career and major
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Middle 80%
Education for Career and Major
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Master's
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The link between degrees and this career
With the following sankey diagram, you can follow the top ten bachelor's degrees held by people working as securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents, and then, in turn, you can see the 10 occupations that hire the most of each degree's graduates. We hope this provides ideas for similar jobs and similar fields of study.
Expand degrees
FinanceEconomicsGeneral BusinessBusiness Management ...MarketingPolitical Science an...AccountingHistoryCommunicationsPsychologyAll other degreesThis jobTop 10 majors
Where are the jobs
State-by-state employment numbers
Some careers tend to be centered in specific parts of the country. For example, most jobs in fashion are in New York or California. Let's see if your dream job is easy to find in your dream location! We have a few choices for viewing the data that can help you get a full employment picture.
Select a state to see local area details
Number of Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents per 1,000 workers (ACS)
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORUTWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICANVCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFLPR
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Job density versus job count
Which states hire the most securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents? We wonder if that's a fair question since states come in all sizes, so instead let's start with the question of which states have the highest density of people working as securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents. You can choose to view the number of jobs per state if you prefer.
Salaries by state
Let's get a feel for where securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents earn the highest salaries. There are several choices for which data we consider and how we view that data, and each can lead to different conclusions, so please read on...
Median salary versus state ratio
We use two methods to compare salaries across states:
  • In-state comparisons: the ratio of median (middle) salaries for securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents compared to the median salary for all people working in each state, or
  • Median salary: the unaltered median salaries for securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents.
We hope the ratio allows perspective about how salaries may compare to the regional cost-of-living.
The darkest shading corresponds to states in which securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents earn the highest salary when compared to other jobs in the state. We think this figure might be a better indicator than the actual salary for your buying power as a state resident.
Select a state to see local area details
Location-adjusted median salary for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents (ACS)
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORUTWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICANVCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFLPR
Employment
6% of Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents are working part time.
We’ve found that some jobs have a huge number of part-time workers, and typically that is because they are unable to find full-time work or the job itself can’t provide full-time hours. With 6% part-time workers, this occupation has a lower percentage of part-time workers than 71% of careers.
6%0%20%40%60%80%100%
Employer types
This donut shares the break-down of workers by employer type, giving us a picture of what employers most typically hire for this career.
Employers of undefined (ACS)
Private for-profit
Private not-for-profit
Local government
State government
Federal government
Self-employed incorporated
Self-employed not incorporated
Working without pay
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Distribution: Salaries of securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents by type of employer
Here are the salary distributions based on employer type.
$65K$68K$43K$64K$61K$0$50,000$100,000$150,000$200,000Self-employed not incorporatedSelf-employed incorporatedPrivate not-for-profitPrivate for-profitAll
Gender
Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents and gender
With 30% women, this occupation has a lower percentage of women than 57% of careers.
Gender of Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
Men (70%)
Women (30%)
Distribution: salaries by gender
Does gender greatly influence your salary in this career? The closer the bars are, the less discrepancy there is.
$55K$74K$0$100K$200K$300KWomenMen
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.
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Context: Women in the workforce
How does this career compare to other careers with regard to the percentage of women in the career.
30%0%20%40%60%80%100%
Context: Salary inequity
The median (middle) salary for all full-time male workers in the US exceeds the full-time median salary for women by 19%, and the difference for securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents tops that, with the median salary for men 34% higher than the median salary for women.
34%0%20%40%60%80%100%
Race/Origin
Race and origin of Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
This donut shows the distribution of race and origin among those employed as Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents.
Race/origin of securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
White (83% )
Asian (7% )
Black (6% )
Multiracial (2% )
Other (1% )
Hispanic (1% )
American Indian (0% )
Pacific Islander (0% )
Distribution: salaries by race/origin
Some careers might have a pay disparity based on race or origin, the closer the below bars are the less of a discrepancy is present.
$47K$48K$57K$65K$68K$0$50K$100K$150K$200KOtherBlackMultiracialAsianWhite
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.