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Financial Planner (CFP) Salary in Raleigh

2026 · Official labour data · 8 comparison cities

$82,419/yr

Last updated: September 2026 · Source: BLS OEWS · modeled estimate, not a published figure for this area

Typical range: $60,448 $112,377

Very High Confidence · 97/100

How much does a Financial Planner (CFP) make in Raleigh, NC?

A Financial Planner (CFP) in Raleigh earns a median of $82,419/year (about $40/hour). Most earn between $60,448 (25th percentile) and $112,377 (75th percentile); top earners (90th percentile) make $148,641 or more — 1% below the US average. Figures are from BLS employer payroll data, not self-reports.

$45,700
Entry (P10)
$82,419
Median (P50)
$112,377
Top 25% (P75)
$148,641
Top 10% (P90)

Understanding these Financial Planner (CFP) salary numbers

We report percentiles, not a single average, because pay isn't evenly spread — a handful of very high earners would drag an average upward and mislead you. Here's exactly what each figure means.

Median (P50) — $82,419

Half of Financial Planner (CFP)s in Raleigh earn more than this and half earn less. It's the most honest "typical" salary — better than an average, which gets skewed by a few top earners.

25th percentile (P25) — $60,448

The lower end of the typical range: 75% of Financial Planner (CFP)s earn more than this. It's common for early-career roles or lower-cost employers. Earning below it is grounds to negotiate.

75th percentile (P75) — $112,377

Your negotiation target: only 25% of Financial Planner (CFP)s earn above it. Reaching P75 usually means seniority, in-demand specialisations, or simply negotiating from data. See how to negotiate.

90th percentile (P90) — $148,641

Top earners: only 10% of Financial Planner (CFP)s make this or more — typically senior, highly specialised, or at the best-paying employers.

Gross vs after-tax pay

These figures are gross (before tax). What actually reaches your account depends on your country, state, and deductions. Estimate your net with the take-home calculator.

National vs Raleigh pay

City figures apply the local market premium to BLS data, so Raleigh differs from the US average by -1%. A higher number isn't always better once cost of living is counted.

Hourly rate — $40/hr

The hourly figure is the annual median divided by 2,080 (40 hours × 52 weeks). If you regularly work more than 40 hours, your real hourly rate is lower than this. Convert any salary with the salary calculator.

Why this differs from Glassdoor or Payscale

Those sites publish what people say they earn (self-reports), which skew high because higher earners report more often. Our figures come from mandatory employer payroll records (BLS OEWS), so they reflect the whole market — not just a vocal subset.

How current and reliable is this number?

This page carries a confidence score of 97/100, based on the data source and coverage. US figures track the latest BLS release and refresh automatically; international figures use OECD/ILO data. See the changelog for live data freshness.

What counts as a "good" Financial Planner (CFP) salary in Raleigh?

Around the median ($82,419) is solid and $112,377+ is strong — but "good" really depends on local costs. Check what the number is actually worth with the good-salary breakdown for Raleigh.

Still curious how we get these numbers? Every figure is traceable to a primary source — see the full methodology and data sources.

Cite or reuse this data

Financial Planner (CFP) salary in Raleigh, NC: median $82,419 (P75 $112,377), per BLS OEWS via Official Salary, 2026.

Free JSON: /api/salary?job=financial-planner&city=raleigh — no key. API & widgets →

Key insights for Financial Planner (CFP)s in Raleigh

✓ Reviewed by the Official Salary Data TeamUpdated September 2026Source: BLS OES 2026Confidence: Very HighMethodology
  • After a simplified take-home estimate, $82K nets about $64K/yr — roughly $31K/yr left after typical single-person living costs here.
  • Pay climbs with seniority: a senior/staff Financial Planner (CFP) reaches about $134K — a +62% step from mid-level.
Official Salary Verdict™
Typical Range

Financial Planner (CFP)s in Raleigh typically earn $60K–$112K a year.

Market Median

The market median is $82K — half earn above, half earn below.

Top Earners

Top earners (top 10%) make $149K or more.

Above Average

Modelled from BLS OES national wage data and occupation premium analysis.

Official government labour statistics (BLS OEWS)Updated monthly via BLS APIHuman-reviewed methodologyConfidence Score: 97/100Editorial policy →

Financial Planner (CFP) Salary Analysis — Raleigh

Financial Planner (CFP)s in Raleigh earn a median salary of $82K, which is 1% below the national median of $83K. Raleigh's established technology sector sustains above-average demand for this role, supporting premium compensation.

Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) and employer payroll records. Figures represent the median (P50) across all experience levels in Raleigh.

Cost of Living Adjustment

Raleigh's cost of living is at the US average. Your $82K salary has the equivalent purchasing power of approximately $82K in a city with average US living costs.

$82K
Nominal salary
0%
CoL vs US avg
$82K
Real value

Salary Distribution — Raleigh

5-band distribution from employer payroll records

P10Entry Level
$45,700

New graduates, 0–1 yr exp

P2525th Percentile
$60,448

1–3 years experience

P50Median
$82,419

3–7 years, typical professional

P7575th Percentile
$112,377

Senior / high-performer — target

P90Top 10%
$148,641

Staff / principal / lead

Financial Planner (CFP) salary chart for Raleigh, NC, 2026: median $82K, top 25% earn $112K+, from BLS employer payroll data
Financial Planner (CFP) pay in Raleigh — free to share with attributionDownload chart
-1%
vs US avg
+15%
demand growth
Low
AI risk
Data Confidence
97/100A+
BLS.OEWS.2026.v2Updated Sep 2, 2026

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Official Salary Fair Pay Score™

Is $82K a good salary for Financial Planner (CFP) in Raleigh?

Benchmarked against the official BLS wage distribution for Financial Planner (CFP)s in Raleigh

50
$82K sits exactly at the market median

Half of Financial Planner (CFP)s in Raleigh earn more, half earn less. Enter your own salary in the checker above to see your exact percentile against this distribution.

Bottom 10%: $46K·Median: $82K·Top 10%: $149K
Underpaid← MedianTop earner
Adjusted · 89% confidenceSource reliability: 40/40 (BLS)

Why This Salary?

How we arrived at $82K for Financial Planner (CFP)s in Raleigh

+2%
Steady demand for Financial Planner (CFP)s
Consistent hiring demand keeps wages competitive.
+27%
Occupation skill premium
Financial Planner (CFP)s earn well above the national average due to specialized skills required.

Source: BLS OES. All figures reflect 2026 market conditions.

Financial Planner (CFP) Salary by Experience Level in Raleigh

How compensation grows from entry-level through staff / lead

Experience LevelYearsPercentileAnnual SalaryMonthlyHourly
Entry00 yrs$51,100$4,258$25
Junior22 yrs$65,935$5,495$32
Mid-LevelTypical44 yrs$76,924$6,410$37
Senior66 yrs$92,639$7,720$45
Staff1010 yrs$133,519$11,127$64
Principal1414 yrs$181,651$15,138$87
Distinguished1818 yrs$193,685$16,140$93

Based on BLS OEWS percentile distribution. Actual salary depends on employer, skills, and negotiation.

Skills That Earn More — Financial Planner (CFP)

Estimated premium above the Raleigh median based on market demand

CFP Certification+4% ≈ +$3K/yr
Retirement Planning+4% ≈ +$3K/yr
Tax Planning+4% ≈ +$3K/yr
Investment Advice+4% ≈ +$3K/yr
Insurance+4% ≈ +$3K/yr

Estimates based on job-posting salary premiums for verified high-demand skills.

Financial Planner (CFP) Intelligence Report

Career metrics and full compensation breakdown — from BLS demand data

Career Opportunity Score

Composite: demand growth × 1.4 + (100 − AI risk) × 0.4

C50/100
High RiskModerateExceptional
Demand Growth+15%/yr
AI Displacement Risk28% — Low
Risk-Adj. Salary Growth+1.6%/yr
Moderate: Moderate risk from automation. Consider adjacent skills to broaden earning power.
$85K
In 2 yrs
$89K
In 5 yrs
$97K
In 10 yrs

Total Compensation — Financial Planner (CFP)

Beyond base salary: bonus, equity, and benefits

Total Comp Range
$127K$193K
per year
Base (51%)Bonus (31%)Equity (6%)Benefits (11%)
Base Salary
Median market rate
$82,419
Annual Bonus
Typical: 20–100% of base
$49,452
Equity (annualised)
~13% of base — RSUs/options
$10,302
Benefits Value
~22% — healthcare, 401k, PTO
$18,132
Total Comp (mid)
$160,305

Bonus, equity, and benefits are modelled estimates from category norms (not scraped from any single employer); base is BLS. Actual total comp varies by employer, level, and negotiation.

Typical Benefits for Financial Planner (CFP)s

— show

Often adds 20–35% to your effective pay

Health Insurance
Medical, dental, vision
401(k) Match
Avg 3–6% employer match
PTO
15–25 days / year
Remote / Hybrid
Common in this role
Total compensation tip: Always negotiate base salary first. Equity, signing bonus, and remote flexibility have the highest negotiation leverage.

Compare Financial Planner (CFP) Salaries by City

How Raleigh, NC stacks up against other major markets

CityMedianP75vs US avg
Raleigh, NC (current)$82,419$112,377+-1%
New York, NY$102,449$139,687++23%
San Francisco, CA$122,237$166,668++47%
Seattle, WA$119,967$163,573++44%
Austin, TX$93,002$126,806++12%
Boston, MA$108,411$147,816++30%
Chicago, IL$88,809$121,089++6%
Los Angeles, CA$88,733$120,986++6%
Denver, CO$104,234$142,121++25%

Official Salary Career GPS™

What should I do next as a Financial Planner (CFP)?

O*NET · US Dept of Labor

Higher-paying roles in the same field

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Financial Planner (CFP) salary in Raleigh, NC?

The estimated median Financial Planner (CFP) salary in Raleigh, NC is $82K per year (2026). This is a modeled estimate derived from national wage data adjusted for local cost levels, not a published government figure for this area.

What is a good Financial Planner (CFP) salary in Raleigh, NC?

The 75th percentile ($112K/yr) is the professional benchmark — what the top quarter already earns. It's a documented, negotiable target backed by BLS payroll data. Anything above the median ($82K) is above-average for this role in Raleigh, NC.

How much does a Financial Planner (CFP) earn per hour in Raleigh, NC?

Based on the median annual salary of $82K, a Financial Planner (CFP) in Raleigh, NC earns approximately $40/hr (2,080-hour work year). The P75 rate is ~$54/hr.

Is Raleigh, NC a good market for Financial Planner (CFP)s?

Raleigh, NC pays 1% below the US national average for this role. BLS projects 15% employment growth for Financial Planner (CFP)s over 2022–2032, and AI automation risk is rated low for this occupation.

How do I negotiate a higher Financial Planner (CFP) salary in Raleigh, NC?

Cite the BLS P75 figure ($112K) — it is verifiable public data from government payroll records. Request the full compensation package: base + equity/bonus + benefits. Timing matters: negotiate at the offer stage, not after acceptance. Counter with a specific number, not a range.

What is the entry-level Financial Planner (CFP) salary in Raleigh, NC?

Entry-level Financial Planner (CFP)s in Raleigh, NC (10th–25th percentile) earn roughly $46K–$60K per year, rising toward the $82K median with experience and in-demand skills.

What does a senior Financial Planner (CFP) earn in Raleigh, NC?

Senior Financial Planner (CFP)s in Raleigh, NC — the top quartile up to the 90th percentile — earn about $112K–$149K per year, with the top 10% making $149K+.

How Is This Salary Calculated?

Every number is derived from a transparent, reproducible methodology — no estimates, no black boxes.

Where does the salary data come from?

US metro figures are published estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, which covers roughly 1.1 million employer establishments. Where BLS does not publish a figure for an occupation and area, this site shows a modeled estimate and labels it as one.

How is the Raleigh figure calculated?

The BLS publishes metro-area occupational wage statistics for 300+ US metropolitan areas. For Raleigh, Official Salary uses the BLS metro premium ratio (metro median ÷ national median) and applies it to the national baseline.

What do P10, P25, P50, P75, and P90 mean?

These are salary percentiles from employer payroll records. P50 (median) means 50% of workers earn less. P75 means 75% earn less — this is the recommended negotiation anchor. P10 and P90 represent the bottom 10% and top 10% respectively.

How is take-home pay estimated?

Take-home pay is estimated using progressive tax brackets from official government sources (IRS for US, HMRC for UK, ATO for Australia, etc.). Social contributions (National Insurance, FICA, etc.) are added. These are estimates — actual take-home depends on deductions, filing status, and location.

How often is data updated?

US BLS salary data refreshes every 24 hours via the BLS public API. OECD international wages refresh monthly. ECB currency rates refresh every 4 hours.

Full formulas and source citations on the methodology page.

What a Financial Planner (CFP) salary really means in Raleigh

Take-home pay, rent affordability, and remote benchmarking — on the $82,419 median.

Estimated take-home

$66,141/yr

$5,512/month net

Gross median
$82,419
Income tax
$9,973
Social / FICA
$6,305
Effective rate
20%

Federal income tax only (FICA included). State income tax varies. Single-filer estimate — not tax advice.

Rent affordability

21%

of take-home on a typical 1-bed (~$1,176/mo)

The 30% rule says housing should stay under 30% of take-home. Here it's comfortably within that line. After all living costs (~$2,800/mo), roughly $2,712/mo is left to save or invest.

Cost-of-living estimate for Raleigh; rent ≈ 42% of budget.

Remote vs onsite

$82,419$83,394

typical fully-remote benchmark range

Onsite Financial Planner (CFP)s in Raleigh earn the local median of $82,419. Fully-remote roles are usually benchmarked between the US median ($83,394) and the local rate — employers increasingly set remote pay by national or regional bands, not your city.

Compare all Financial Planner (CFP) markets →
✓ Reviewed by the Official Salary Data TeamUpdated September 2026Source: BLS OES 2026Confidence: Very HighMethodology

How to reach the top 25% as a Financial Planner (CFP) in Raleigh

The gap between a typical Financial Planner (CFP) and the top quartile in Raleigh is $29,958/year — about $2,497/month more than the median. Reaching the 75th percentile ($112,377) usually comes down to seniority, in-demand specialisations, and negotiating from real data instead of hoping for a raise.

Salary trend data not available for this occupation.

Education Premium — Financial Planner (CFP)

How degree level affects salary · ACS Census data

High School / GED
-32%
~$56K
Associate's Degree
-15%
~$70K
Bachelor's DegreeBASELINE
~$82K
Master's Degree
+30%
~$107K
Doctoral (PhD)
+22%
~$101K
Professional (MBA/JD/MD)
+52%
~$125K

Source: US Census Bureau ACS PUMS · BLS OES wage data.

Negotiation Deep-Dive

Get your data-backed negotiation opening ask and walking-away floor.

📊Your exact market percentile based on BLS distribution
🎯P75 target + 10% stretch as your opening ask price
🚪Walking-away floor so you know when to move on
Raleigh benchmarks
$82K
Market median
$112K
P75 target
$149K
Top 10%

Negotiation Calculator

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Financial Planner (CFP) in Raleigh — Distribution
P10
$46K
P25
$60K
P50
$82K
P75
$112K
P90
$149K
Enter your salary above to see your negotiation position

Data Source & Attribution

This page’s figures are a modeled estimate: a national occupation wage adjusted for local cost levels. BLS does not publish a figure for this occupation and area, so these numbers are not a government measurement and should not be cited as one. International figures draw on OECD Average Wages, Eurostat SES, and ILO ILOSTAT.

BLS.OEWS.2026.v2

Sep 2, 2026

Full methodology →
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