Financial Adviser
Also advertised as: Financial Adviser, Financial Planner, Independent Financial Adviser, Paraplanner, Trainee Financial Adviser, Wealth Adviser
Advises clients on pensions, investments and protection against their long-term goals.
What the job involves
Financial advisers build long-term relationships and give regulated advice on retirement, investments, tax planning and protection. You must reach Level 4 Diploma standard and hold a Statement of Professional Standing. Trust and clear explanation matter more than sales patter.
Typical responsibilities
- Understand client goals, income and attitude to risk
- Research and recommend suitable products
- Write compliant suitability reports
- Review client plans regularly
- Maintain professional competence
Common employers
- Independent advice firms
- Wealth managers
- Banks
- Accountancy practices
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£28,000 – £38,000 a year
With experience
£55,000 – £90,000 a year
Typical hours
37.5 hours plus client meetings
Working environment
Office and client premises
Remote working
hybrid
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Regulated advice
- Financial planning
- Report writing
- Relationship building
- Ethics and compliance
Transferable skills you may already have
- Explaining complex information
- Building trust with customers
- Record keeping
Requirements employers ask for
- Regulated advice
- Financial planning
- Report writing
- Relationship building
- Ethics and compliance
- Level 4 Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning
- Statement of Professional Standing
- FCA authorisation through an authorised firm
Useful but not essential
- Explaining complex information
- Building trust with customers
- Record keeping
- Chartered Financial Planner status
- Pension transfer specialist qualifications
Helpful qualifications
- Chartered Financial Planner status
- Pension transfer specialist qualifications
Licences and checks
- FCA authorisation through an authorised firm
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Financial Services Professional (Level 6)
- Paraplanner (Level 4)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Finance
- Related subject: Economics
- Related subject: Business
- Related subject: Maths
Where this career can lead
next
Chartered Financial Planner
next
Practice Principal
next
Wealth Management Director
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- High earning potential
- Long-term client relationships
- Route in via paraplanning without a degree
What people find hard
- Demanding exams and CPD
- Regulatory responsibility is personal
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a financial adviser?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. preferred
- How much does a financial adviser earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £28,000 to £38,000 a year, rising towards £90,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Explaining complex information, Building trust with customers, Record keeping.
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Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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