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The differences between investment advisors and agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an investment advisor has an average salary of $105,377, which is higher than the $37,864 average annual salary of an agent.
The top three skills for an investment advisor include exceptional client, risk management and client relationships. The most important skills for an agent are insurance products, customer service, and life insurance.
| Investment Advisor | Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $105,377 | $37,864 |
| Hourly rate | $50.66 | $18.20 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 63,438 | 184,325 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 45 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
An investment advisor is responsible for managing the clients' financial portfolios, advising them of investment options according to their financial goals and objectives, and their ability to handle risks. Investment advisors should have excellent knowledge of the investment policies, providing the clients with the best financial strategies according to their interests. They also determine their expenses, income, and credit scores to identify a comprehensive financial plan. An investment advisor helps the clients with cash management techniques, as well as conducting data analysis on financial market projections.
Agents are individuals who are employed by their clients to represent them in various dealings. Agents are usually employed by people in the show business industry, such as actors, writers, or directors. They meet people who are interested in dealing with their clients. They listen to the plans and vision for the project and assess if the project fits their clients' interests or public image. In the case of agents whose clients are actors, they send their clients to auditions upon review of the project details. Agents are also responsible for negotiating terms on behalf of their clients, such as salary, royalties, and set benefits, among others. They also inform the project leaders of their clients' demands on set. Agents are expected to be business-savvy and good negotiators.
Investment advisors and agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Investment Advisor | Agent | |
| Average salary | $105,377 | $37,864 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $184,000 | Between $19,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Latham & Watkins |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | - |
There are a few differences between an investment advisor and an agent in terms of educational background:
| Investment Advisor | Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between investment advisors' and agents' demographics:
| Investment Advisor | Agent | |
| Average age | 45 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.3% Female, 27.7% | Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.2% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 4.9% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 7% |