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Where is it easiest to open: Other Financial Vehicles
36 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 13-2052” (soc) for Personal Financial Advisors. A blank gate means NO RECORD MATCHED, which is not the same as no licence.
| State | Operators | Avg staff | Pay / employee | Gate | Licence titles matched |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 295 | 4.4 | $159,403 | licence | Investment Adviser Certificate; Professional Fiduciary License |
| NY | 153 | 11.2 | $206,509 | not matched | — |
| TX | 137 | 4.2 | $248,534 | licence | SECURITIES DEALER/INVESTMENT ADVISOR |
| FL | 128 | 3.5 | $87,091 | licence | Central Registration Depository (CRD) |
| IL | 58 | 4.8 | $198,029 | licence | INVESTMENT ADVISOR REPRESENTATIVE |
| NV | 47 | 1.3 | $72,619 | not matched | — |
| DE | 46 | 1.8 | $51,975 | not matched | — |
| MA | 44 | 4.2 | $184,487 | exam | INSURANCE ADVISER; INVESTMENT ADVISER/REPRESENTATIVE |
| MI | 38 | 6.2 | $166,268 | exam | Investment Advisor |
| NJ | 32 | 8.5 | $175,513 | not matched | — |
| MD | 32 | 3.8 | $216,760 | not matched | — |
| WA | 26 | 4.5 | $121,034 | exam | Financial Planner; Investment Advisor |
| GA | 23 | 3.2 | $140,562 | exam | Investment Advisor |
| DC | 20 | 4.8 | $163,674 | not matched | — |
| MN | 19 | 2.4 | $132,478 | licence | Financial Counselor or Planner; Investment Advisers and their Represen |
| AZ | 18 | 2.9 | $157,774 | licence | Fiduciary; Investment Adviser |
| CO | 17 | 5.7 | $195,763 | exam | Investment Advisory Representative |
| CT | 17 | 2.5 | $283,651 | not matched | — |
| UT | 16 | 5.2 | $59,119 | licence | SECURITIES-INVESTMENT ADVISER |
| SC | 15 | 2.4 | $96,083 | not matched | — |
| OH | 14 | 2.9 | $77,561 | not matched | — |
| VA | 13 | 8.0 | $358,500 | not matched | — |
| PA | 10 | 7.4 | $206,635 | not matched | — |
| NC | 10 | 1.8 | $81,000 | exam | Investment Adviser; Investment Adviser Representative |
| MO | 6 | 0.8 | $208,400 | not matched | — |
| WI | 6 | 1.5 | $56,778 | exam | INVESTMENT ADVISOR; INVESTMENT ADVISOR REPRESENTATIVE |
| TN | 6 | 25.7 | $247,760 | not matched | — |
| ID | 6 | 1.0 | $39,333 | exam | Securites Investment Advisors & Broker; Securities Sales Agents and Investment |
| WY | 5 | 0.6 | $247,000 | not matched | — |
| NE | 5 | 10.6 | $157,132 | licence | Investment Adviser; Investment Adviser Representative |
| NM | 4 | 1.0 | $72,500 | exam | Investment Advisers Representative |
| KS | 4 | 0.2 | $104,000 | exam | Investment Advisor |
| OK | 3 | 1.7 | $34,000 | licence | Investment Adviser; Investment Adviser Representative |
| LA | 3 | 2.3 | $188,429 | not matched | — |
| IA | 3 | 2.0 | $98,167 | licence | Investment Advisor Representative |
| AL | 3 | 31.3 | $234,511 | exam | Licensed Personal Financial Advisor |
Axes are shown side by side and deliberately NOT collapsed into a ranking. A composite would be a score with no measured interval, and an unmeasured score is the thing this product exists to argue against. A high licence gate is a cost to enter and a moat once cleared — which of those matters more is the operator's call, not ours.
Licence data courtesy of CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Free to read, no account, always — a condition of the data licence as well as our own position.