Quick answer: The Charleston metro employs about 140 personal financial advisors (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through FINRA, the SEC or your state securities regulator.
Compare finance programs enrolling now:
Licensing
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. The gates in finance belong to regulators, not colleges. Securities work runs through FINRA examinations under a sponsoring firm, investment advisers register with the SEC or their state, and the CFP credential requires a bachelor’s degree, board-registered coursework, an examination and experience hours. The degree feeds those systems and replaces none of them.
See the West Virginia licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with FINRA, the SEC or your state securities regulator.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 3 schools
within 141 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
3 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
What Personal Financial Advisors Earn in Charleston
Personal Financial Advisors in the Charleston area earn a median $96,050 per year, below the national median of $105,070 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Finance Pay in Charleston, WV
Metric
Charleston metro
West Virginia
National
Median annual wage
$96,050
$80,010
$105,070
10th percentile
$45,020
$45,020
$50,190
25th percentile
$54,760
$53,500
$72,440
75th percentile
$170,480
$131,910
$176,790
90th percentile
$675,730
$219,510
$357,020
Employment
140
670
266,800
Location quotient
0.79
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Charleston, WV metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Charleston median of $96,050 is below the national median of $105,070, and above the West Virginia statewide median of $80,010 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 0.79 means personal financial advisors are less concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Advisory work distributes with population and wealth, banking follows regional financial centers, and corporate finance sits where headquarters do.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do personal financial advisors make in Charleston?
The median annual wage for personal financial advisors in the Charleston, WV metro area is $96,050, below the national median of $105,070 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many personal financial advisors work in the Charleston area?
The Charleston, WV metro area employs about 140 personal financial advisors (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do personal financial advisors in Charleston need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. The gates in finance belong to regulators, not colleges. Securities work runs through FINRA examinations under a sponsoring firm, investment advisers register with the SEC or their state, and the CFP credential requires a bachelor's degree, board-registered coursework, an examination and experience hours. The degree feeds those systems and replaces none of them. Confirm current requirements with FINRA, the SEC or your state securities regulator.
Can I study finance online from Charleston?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies FINRA, the SEC or your state securities regulator.
Is Charleston a better market than the rest of West Virginia?
The Charleston metro median is $96,050 against a statewide median of $80,010 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Personal Financial Advisors (SOC 13-2052), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
