How will advisers’ salaries change this year?

Robert Walters salary remuneration recruitment

17 January 2025
| By Jasmine Siljic |
image
image image
expand image

Recruitment agency Robert Walters has revealed the expected salary ranges for Australian financial advisers in 2025, with one particular state seeing a decline.

The firm’s Salary Guide 2025 assessed the salary ranges for advisers in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. Data was unavailable for the remaining states and territories.

It discovered that financial advisers’ salaries in NSW fell from a range of $160,000–$220,000 in 2024 to $120,000–$200,000 in 2025.

Financial planners in Victoria saw a slight increase on the lower end of the range from $120,000–$180,000 in 2024 to $130,000–$180,000 in 2025.

Queensland’s advisers saw a minor increase on the higher end of the range from $130,000–$150,000 last year to $130,000–$165,000 this year.

Meanwhile, financial planners’ pay in South Australia remained unchanged from the previous year at $95,000–$150,000.

State

2024 salary

2025 salary

NSW

$160,000–$220,000

$120,000–$200,000

Victoria

$120,000–$180,000

$130,000–$180,000

Queensland

$130,000–$150,000

$130,000–$165,000

South Australia

$95,000–$150,000

$95,000–$150,000

Source: Robert Walters

Looking at the broader financial services sector, the salary guide stated: “Survey data reveals a strong hiring outlook for 2025, with many businesses in Australia and New Zealand planning to expand their teams.

“However, competition for specialised talent remains high. To secure top professionals, employers are increasingly offering competitive salaries and flexible working arrangements.”

Professionals in the industry place significant value on having a competitive salary and benefits package, opportunities for career advancement and promotion, alongside work/life balance and flexible working arrangements.

Across all Australian markets, 71 per cent of businesses plan to implement salary increases in 2025 and 49 per cent of employers intend to offer bonuses this year.

Research from the Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) last year detailed the main avenues for successful advice recruitment.

Surveying its membership, the FAAA said rather than recruitment services or vacancy adverts, there are five channels that members are using successfully for new hires.

These are:

  • Existing networks
  • Word of mouth
  • Profession-specific online forums
  • FAAA careers board
  • Education providers

Recruitment firm people2people recently shared how employers can help their staff thrive in 2025 as well as how to attract new hires. The firm’s recommendations ranged from flexible working to internal promotions and celebrating staff achievements.

Catherine Kennedy, NSW managing director at the firm, remarked: “The 2025 workforce expects more from employers – better pay, robust mental health support, and meaningful development opportunities. Addressing these needs not only attracts top talent but also builds a resilient, engaged workforce ready to navigate future challenges.”

Read more about:

AUTHOR

Recommended for you

sub-bgsidebar subscription

Never miss the latest news and developments in wealth management industry

MARKET INSIGHTS

Completely agree Peter. The definition of 'significant change is circumstances relevant to the scope of the advice' is s...

1 month 3 weeks ago

This verdict highlights something deeply wrong and rotten at the heart of the FSCP. We are witnessing a heavy-handed, op...

1 month 3 weeks ago

Interesting. Would be good to know the details of the StrategyOne deal....

2 months ago

SuperRatings has shared the median estimated return for balanced superannuation funds for the calendar year 2024, finding the year achieved “strong and consistent positiv...

1 week 6 days ago

Original bidder Bain Capital, which saw its first offer rejected in December, has returned with a revised bid for Insignia Financial....

6 days 22 hours ago

The FAAA has secured CSLR-related documents under the FOI process, after an extended four-month wait, which show little analysis was done on how the scheme’s cost would a...

4 days 16 hours ago

TOP PERFORMING FUNDS