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Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeModerate pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $78,660 Median per year · $37.82/hr Most earn $48,040–$212,880

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Prepare financial reports to monitor client or corporate finances.
  • Sell services or equipment, such as trusts, investments, or check processing services.
  • Identify opportunities or develop channels for purchase or sale of securities or commodities.
  • Complete sales order tickets and submit for processing of client-requested transactions.
  • Review all securities transactions to ensure accuracy of information and conformance to governing agency regulations.
  • Agree on buying or selling prices at optimal levels for clients.

Job outlook

United States
1% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 35,100 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Credit intermediation and related activities50.0%
  • Securities, commodity contracts, and other financial investments and related activities32.8%
  • Self-employed (their own business)6.0%
  • Other nondepository credit intermediation2.9%
  • Management of companies and enterprises2.2%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

This isn't usually an entry-level job straight out of school. Most people earn a bachelor's degree, then spend about 2 to 4 years in a related role, often a support job at a brokerage, before they start selling securities.

  1. Bachelor's degree in finance, economics, or business

    4 years

    You build knowledge of markets, accounting, and how investments work, and you can use internships to get your foot in the door.

  2. Brokerage Clerk

    1-2 years

    You handle trades, account paperwork, and client questions, which teaches you how the firm and the products work before you sell anything.

  3. Securities Sales Representative

    Ongoing

    You buy and sell securities for clients or the firm and advise customers on stocks, bonds, funds, and market conditions, usually after passing required licensing exams.

Where it can lead

  1. Personal Financial Advisor

    2-4 years of experience first

    You move from selling products to building long-term financial plans for clients, such as retirement and tax planning, and you work more directly with individuals.

  2. Investment Fund Manager

    8-10 years of experience first

    You make the investment decisions for a fund or portfolio, which usually requires a master's degree and a long track record of strong analysis and results.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and economics classesStrong math skills and a basic understanding of how economies work will make college finance courses much easier.
  • Join a stock market game or investing clubFollowing real markets and making practice decisions shows you how investing works and gives you something to talk about in interviews later.
  • Get a part-time job that involves talking with customersWorking in a store or restaurant builds the people skills and comfort with money that sales work depends on.
  • Learn Excel basicsSpreadsheet skills are used constantly in finance, and you can practice them by tracking a personal or family budget.
  • Volunteer for a money-related programHelping people with taxes or budgeting at a library or community center builds experience explaining financial ideas clearly.

In college

  • Major in finance, economics, or businessThese majors cover investments, markets, and financial analysis, which are the core knowledge this job requires.
  • Pursue a finance internshipInternships at banks or brokerages show employers you can do the work and often lead to a first job offer.
  • Join a student investment clubManaging a student investment portfolio or presenting stock pitches builds real analysis skills and helps you network.
  • Take a job at a campus bank, financial aid office, or business officeCampus jobs that involve money and customers give you relevant experience and a reference for future applications.
  • Start preparing for licensing examsReviewing general securities concepts early, through study materials your school may provide, makes the licensing process easier after you're hired.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for internships or part-time jobs at banks, brokerages, or credit unions, since firms often hire people they've already worked with.
  • Build strong communication and people skills, because this job depends on earning clients' trust. Public speaking and customer service jobs both help.
  • Many firms require securities licenses such as the Series 7 exam, which you usually study for after you're hired, so being ready to learn exam material is important.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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