Women make up a larger share of advisors nationwide, but there’s a long path to parity

In 2025, you are more likely to find a female financial advisor than before, but there’s still a long way to go before the wealth management industry is close to having an equal mix of men and women.

Following on from the first part of its report that provided insights into the shape of a typical US advisory firm today, AdvizorPro has released the second part of its 2025 Advisor Demographics & Team Structures Report which focuses on gender diversity, lifestyle indicators, and ownership patterns.

The report found that women now make up 24.2% of advisors nationally, reflecting notable gains across structured environments like wirehouses and IBDs. These channels boast the highest female representation (30.6% and 28.0% respectively), likely bolstered by legacy recruiting programs and formal career pathing.

Within RIAs, only 18.0% of advisors are women, despite the channel’s explosive growth, but female leadership within the RIA space is outpacing representation with almost a quarter of RIA firms (23.5%) having at least one female owner or executive. This suggests that smaller, advisor-led firms may offer more agile pathways to ownership, particularly for entrepreneurial women ready to carve their own space.

As women control more wealth, the opportunity for firms with strong female representation to attract these clients is clear, especially given specific trends and concerns that are common among wealthy women, as highlighted by Judi Leahy, senior wealth advisor at Citi Personal Wealth Management in an interview with InvestmentNews.

There are strong variations across the country though with states such as Iowa and Montana topping the charts for female participation, while Utah and Connecticut lag, hinting at how local firm mix and training infrastructure influence access.

Beyond the demographic data, the report also looks at advisor lifestyle and finds that golf, camping, fitness, and volunteering dominate, while hobbies like fencing, embroidery, and bonsai reveal untapped personalization potential.

The report highlights how advisors, like clients, are individuals and firms that lean into their nuances, whether in recruiting, branding, or segmentation, are better positioned to resonate.

Recently, four well-established and respected female advisors shared with InvestmentNews their career advice to up-and-comers.