Committed to your success

Being an Edward Jones financial advisor is a rewarding career – where you can make a difference in others’ lives and, most importantly, your own. It offers the balance of structured guidance with flexible autonomy, as well as an ideal environment to create deep bonds with our clients, so you can help every client achieve what’s most important to them.

Professional man and woman having a discussion while on a walk outside.

The path to becoming an Edward Jones financial advisor

From day one, you will be part of, and supported by, a deeply rooted network of 20,000 fellow financial advisors. From our Home Office to our branches, we are ONE Edward Jones working together in collaboration to better understand the needs of the client. And that starts immediately after you join us.

You’re hired – now what?

Congratulations! Landing a job as an Edward Jones financial advisor is something to be proud of. You wouldn’t have made it this far unless success was within reach.

Throughout the interview process, we told you about our training, outstanding support and professional development opportunities. First things first – you have a few tests to take.

Job one: Hit the books!

Your first assignment will be to study for your industry exams – these are the registration and licenses needed to become a financial advisor. To become registered to offer securities, state and federal laws require that all financial advisors pass:

General Securities Registered Representative Examination (Securities Industry Essentials SIE + Series 7)
Uniform Combined State Law Examination (Series 66).

Financial advisors also must complete state insurance licensing requirements.

Prepare to buckle down – but not alone

The financial services industry is complex – and always changing. As a financial advisor, you’re expected to understand the investments available to our clients, regulations surrounding client suitability and the general rules of the industry. And you’ll want to have a solid understanding of all of it – so you can deliver tailored solutions to clients with confidence.

Preparing for the SIE and Series 7 exams is challenging and time consuming. Trainees commit a minimum of 45 hours of study each week over the study period  in preparation for the exam.

Get paid while you study

During onboarding, you will become a full-time associate of Edward Jones and will receive hourly compensation on a bi-weekly basis. This will allow you to focus on training and development as you study for your licenses and begin to learn business-building strategies.

Everything you need to succeed

Our study program will provide you all the support you need to pass the SIE, Series 7, Series 66 and insurance exams. Count on:

Comprehensive study materials and practice tests
A study team that will monitor your progress and answer questions about the material
Tools and resources to help you along the way

Job two: Virtual and in-person learning

During the study period, you’ll participate in distance learning sessions to help you gain industry and investment knowledge. You’ll also benefit from the support from those who have been where you are and set the example for development, profitability and growth.

Near the end of the onboarding period, you’ll visit the Edward Jones headquarters in St. Louis or Tempe, AZ for training and workshops with other financial advisors in training. These sessions provide a great opportunity to interact, collaborate and brainstorm with your peers from across the country as you prepare to build your practice.

In addition to our award-winning training programs*, you’ll have access to continuing education opportunities and support throughout your entire financial advisor career. Edward Jones covers course fees for associates seeking any of 20 different industry designations, including the CFP® certification and ChFC® designation for financial advisors. This support and development is one reason why Edward Jones has more team members with the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification than any other firm in the financial services industry.

Learning to run your office

Your field trainer, an Edward Jones financial advisor who was once in the same position as you are now, will be there for you every step of the way. You’ll learn useful skills such as time management, prioritization and office administration.

Know Your Client

The Know Your Client program combines online classroom instruction and interactive exercises to prepare you to successfully serve clients as an Edward Jones financial advisor and build a sustainable practice. This award-winning financial advisor development program is led by professional learning experience designers and by veteran financial advisors who will teach you how to:

Use and leverage the process to launch a successful practice
Layer sourcing strategies to engage with your ideal clients and have meaningful conversations
Develop and apply relationship progression in the client creation process
Recognize and demonstrate the Edward Jones value proposition as a financial advisor
Learn tools for emotional self-management
Create and model presentations on products and solutions
Execute the 5-step process in the creation of clients

Launch Your Practice

The Launch Your Practice session takes place at Edward Jones’ home office. During this three-day training, you’ll meet with veteran financial advisors and fellow financial advisor trainees to network, discuss ideas, and chart your progress.

Establish Your Practice

Lastly, as part of the Establish Your Practice phase, you’ll take part in a customized six-month training plan. This includes a tailored-to-you combination of self-study, classroom learning, and field training. Your training will wrap up with Purpose-Driven Practice, a virtual program that helps you identify your unique purpose. Using your own personal mission as a guide, you’ll develop an ongoing training plan to achieve your full potential as an Edward Jones financial advisor.

Job three: Let’s open your office!

Finally – you’re ready to open your branch office and start building your practice.

This is when our legendary support systems really kick in. And it’s what we mean by “on your own, but never alone.” As an Edward Jones financial advisor, you will have access to professional coaching to help you integrate what you’ve learned in training into your practice. Our home office structure is aligned to the ways branch teams work, allowing for better partnership and delivery of products, advice, and services to the client, ensuring you always have a team you can lean on.

Explore Opportunities Near You

FAQS

What experience is needed to become a financial advisor?

If you have experience in financial services or sales and customer service, you might have an advantage in getting started. However, many of our financial advisors come from diverse backgrounds and other professions. What we are looking for are candidates who are people-focused, driven, self-motivated and confident. Being able to make sound decisions that you stand by is another key quality to have. If you have these attributes, Edward Jones can develop your skill set from there.

Does Edward Jones pay you while you’re going through training to become a financial advisor?

How long is the training period to become a financial advisor?

We want you to be fully prepared to succeed once you begin your career. Before starting our training program, you’ll need to pass the required licensing exams. The timeline depends on your understanding of the material and readiness to take the exams.

Afterward, you’ll complete a comprehensive eight-week training program, followed by a six-month personalized training phase. This prepares you to open your Edward Jones branch and start advising clients.

*26-year recipient of the Training APEX Award. 2025 Training Magazine APEX Awards, published February 2025, data as of September 2024. An application fee was required for consideration.

Copyright © 2025 At Edward Jones, our human-centered culture calls upon us all to treat every individual with dignity and respect while celebrating what makes us unique, which we show as an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusion and accessibility. Edward Jones does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity and pregnancy), religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship status or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state, provincial, or local law in employment decisions such as hiring, compensation, benefits, transfers, promotions, leaves, training, performance expectations, development opportunities, and corrective action. Qualified applicants with arrest and/or conviction records will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, or local law, including but not limited to the St. Louis “Ban the Box” law, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring and the New York City Fair Chance Act.

Should you require any ADA/Medical accommodation or accommodation in accordance with applicable accessibility and/or human rights laws at any time in the application for employment, please contact us at recruiting-accommodations@edwardjones.com.