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.
What it pays
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents earn a median of $37.82/hr — about $78,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $23.10/hr; the top 10% earn $102.35/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents earn a median of $37.82/hr — about $78,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $23.10/hr; the top 10% earn $102.35/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work is mostly indoors; you're around people constantly; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 6.6% of securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are take-charge, organized and detail-focused and people-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
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Quick questions
- How much does a securities, commodities, and financial services sales agent make?
- The median pay is $37.82 per hour — roughly $78,500 a year, with the real range running from about $23.10/hr (10th percentile) to $102.35/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a securities, commodities, and financial services sales agent?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
- What does a securities, commodities, and financial services sales agent actually do all day?
- Make bids or offers to buy or sell securities. Monitor markets or positions. Agree on buying or selling prices at optimal levels for clients.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.