Call a possible new customer
Phone a prospect, describe what you offer, and learn what they want before you draft a proposal.
Career profile
Securities, Commodities, or Financial Services Sales Agent
Securities sales agents sell financial services and help customers buy or sell investments.
Market news opens conversations with customers and helps you close deals. How much you teach about money versus win new business depends on your specialty.
A day in the life
Learn a customer's goals first
Ask about the customer's finances and goals, explain one investment, and answer questions before you recommend something.
Fill out an order ticket
Fill out the order ticket, check it against the customer's request, then submit it for processing.
Explain a market move
Scan price quotes and market news, then tell a customer or trader what moved and possible reasons why.
Quick facts
Bachelor’s degree typical
United States · 2025
$78,660 median
United States · May 2025
1.4% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Bachelor’s degree typicalEmployer training follows entry; education requirements vary by role.
Pay
$78,660 medianAnnual pay, equivalent to $37.82 an hour, across the full occupation—not starting pay.
Outlook
1.4% projected growthAbout 35,100 openings annually, including replacement openings, across the full occupation.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like starting conversations with people you do not know.
- You enjoy explaining unfamiliar money terms patiently.
- You check details even when someone wants a quick answer.
Things to weigh
- Sales targets can bring pressure; commissions and advancement may depend on results.
- Some jobs exceed 40 hours a week or require evenings and weekends.
Where AI may help
Online platforms handle simple purchases, and automated systems execute trades.
What people still lead
You still lead conversations about a client’s goals and explain recommendations.
What we can’t predict yet
How much routine trading remains in your job will depend on the products and clients your firm serves.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national median is $78,660 a year, or $37.82 an hour. These employee wages cover the full occupation and include commissions and production bonuses.
A wide pay spread
The 10th-percentile annual wage is $48,040; the 90th is $212,880. These describe the pay distribution, not beginner and experienced salaries.
Workplace and sales matter
Annual medians are $103,030 in securities, commodity contracts, and other financial investments, versus $61,720 in credit intermediation. Some jobs combine base salary with sales-based pay.
Openings exceed net growth
Employment is projected to grow 1.4%, with 35,100 openings annually. Most openings replace people who leave the occupation.
Getting started
Study business, then enter a firm
- What the route involves
- Complete a bachelor’s degree with finance, accounting, or economics coursework; internships can add experience.
- What it can lead to
- Meet the typical educational preparation for entry-level positions.
- What to check
- A degree does not authorize securities sales; the required registration steps are separate.
Enter through paid brokerage training
Paid
- What the route involves
- Fidelity offers eligible entry roles with paid study and coaching. Prepare for the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam and role-specific exams such as the General Securities Representative Exam, called Series 7.
- What it can lead to
- Build customer-service experience while completing securities qualifications. Some financial services representative roles do not require a college degree.
- What to check
- Securities business requires the appropriate approved registrations; a training job alone does not authorize it.
A bachelor’s degree is typical, but some brokerage service roles hire without one. Entry requirements depend on the work you will do.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization. This path also has a credential or licensing boundary; see the requirements and limits.
Get comfortable with customer requests
Build accuracy handling account questions, transfers, and trades with support from experienced colleagues.
Handle more complex conversations
Develop your product knowledge as customer requests become more involved, and build ongoing client relationships.
Choose a client specialty
Move toward active-trader service, helping customers with complex trading needs.
- Specialize in employee stock plans, explaining share awards and transaction choices.
Where you can work
Brokerage contact centers
Much of your customer contact happens by phone. Inbound requests can involve account balances, transfers, and trades; coworkers and coaches help you build proficiency.
- Indoors
- Office
Retail brokerage branches
You meet customers face to face in an investor center. The work puts more emphasis on in-person service and relationships with people visiting the branch.
- Indoors
- Office
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Invent a client who asks, “Should I buy this stock?” Write five questions you would ask before discussing a purchase, then explain one risk in plain language to a classmate. Notice whether you enjoy the conversation as much as researching the investment.
Stay safe: Use a fictional client and no real money; this is a communication exercise, not investment advice.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Wages: 41-3031.00. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections and worker characteristics, 2025–35. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Securities Industry Essentials Exam. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Series 7 – General Securities Representative Exam. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Registration. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Fidelity Careers. Why Fidelity’s self-paced, paid licensing training program is your best path to a career in finance. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Fidelity Careers. Financial Services Representative – Littleton, MA. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Fidelity Careers. Opportunities for licensed finance professionals. Accessed 2026-10-03.