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How to Become a Personal Financial Planner: Australian Careers in Financial Planning

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What is a Personal Financial Planner?

What will I do?

What skills do I need?

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What is a Personal Financial Planner?

A Personal Financial Planner helps people and families reach their money goals. They look at income, spending, assets, and debts. Then they build a plan that works for each client’s situation.

Financial planners give advice on investments, retirement savings, tax plans, and estate planning. They stay up to date with market trends and changes in financial laws. This keeps their advice useful and current.

Day to day, a financial planner meets with clients, reviews their progress, and adjusts plans as needed. They help clients choose investment products, set up super strategies, or plan for major life events. Building trust with clients is a key part of the job.

Australia has a known shortage of licensed financial advisers. The Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) reports just one adviser for every 1,695 Australians. For those who enjoy numbers and helping people, this is a rewarding career with strong long-term demand.

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Career snapshots For Personal Financial Planners

Around 63,400 financial investment advisers and managers work in Australia (Jobs and Skills Australia, 2025). The median age is 44, and 80% of planners work full-time, averaging 45 hours per week. Women make up 40% of the workforce.

The median full-time weekly pay is $2,582, or about $134,000 per year (Jobs and Skills Australia, 2025). This is well above the national median of $1,852 per week. Salaries range from $90,000 for new entrants to $180,000 for senior planners.

The sector adds around 900 new roles each year (Jobs and Skills Australia, 2025). Demand is driven by Australia’s ageing population and growing super balances. A known shortage of licensed advisers means strong entry chances for qualified planners at all career stages.

What will I do?

A Personal Financial Planner meets with clients to understand their goals, then builds strategies to help them reach those goals. They cover a wide range of topics, from day-to-day budgeting to long-term wealth building.

  • Client meetings – talking with clients about financial goals, income, and concerns
  • Financial review – looking at assets, debts, income, and spending to check a client’s position
  • Investment planning – building investment strategies that match each client’s risk profile and goals
  • Retirement planning – setting up super strategies and income plans for retirement
  • Tax planning – advising on ways to cut tax and keep more money in clients’ pockets
  • Estate planning – helping clients plan how their assets will be passed on after death
  • Insurance advice – choosing the right cover to protect clients and their families
  • Ongoing reviews – tracking client plans and adjusting them as life changes
  • Market research – keeping up with investment products, interest rates, and rule changes
  • Compliance – making sure all advice meets ASIC rules and the Code of Ethics

What skills do I need?

A Personal Financial Planner draws on both technical and people skills. They need a solid grip on financial products, investment strategies, tax rules, and super law. They also use financial planning software to model options and build client reports.

Strong communication is just as important. Planners must explain complex topics in plain English. They listen closely to understand each client’s goals, worries, and values.

A high level of honesty is essential. Financial planners must follow the Financial Planners and Advisers Code of Ethics 2019. They always act in their clients’ best interests. Those who combine technical skills with genuine care for clients tend to do well in this career.

Skills/attributes

  • Analytical thinking and financial modelling
  • Clear written and verbal communication
  • Knowledge of investment products and markets
  • Understanding of superannuation and tax law
  • Ability to build trust with clients
  • Ethical judgement and integrity
  • Attention to detail
  • Financial planning software proficiency
  • Active listening and empathy
  • Time management and organisation
  • Commitment to ongoing learning
  • Problem-solving and strategic thinking

CourseFinder makes every effort to ensure the information we provide is correct at the time of publication. We welcome your input to help keep our career profiles as accurate and up to date as possible. All queries and feedback will be taken into consideration as we conduct periodic reviews of our content. Add your voice to the conversation!

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About the author

Laura Atkinson

Laura Atkinson

Laura Atkinson is an Account Management and SEM specialist at Course Finder Group with six years' experience in the Australian education sector. She works day to day with universities, TAFEs and independent training providers, which gives her a close view of how courses map to real career outcomes. She writes practical guidance on career pathways, choosing the right qualification and what to expect when moving into a new field.