Updated July 23, 2026. Quick answer: California has 1,853 SEC-registered investment adviser firms (#2 nationally) managing $23.06 trillion in total regulatory assets (#3 nationally) as of the July 1, 2026 SEC roster. The median California firm manages $517 million, against a national median of $460 million.
California financial advisor statistics (2026)
| Measure | California |
|---|---|
| SEC-registered advisor firms | 1,853 |
| National rank by firm count | #2 |
| Total regulatory AUM | $23.06 trillion |
| National rank by AUM | #3 |
| Median firm regulatory AUM | $517 million |
| Share of all US firms | 12.6% |
California advisor firms by size
| Firm size (regulatory AUM) | Firms |
|---|---|
| Under $100M | 76 |
| $100M-$1B | 1,085 |
| $1B-$10B | 482 |
| Over $10B | 144 |
Compare the full national picture on the US advisor statistics hub, and turn any California quote into dollars with the Financial Advisor Fee Calculator. Comparing advisors locally? See the California advisor fee guide.
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Cite this page: Clear Money Guide, “California Financial Advisor Statistics 2026,” computed from the SEC Investment Adviser public roster (report date July 1, 2026). Free to cite with a link to this page.
Methodology
Figures are computed from the official SEC Investment Adviser firm roster (FOIA download, report date July 1, 2026), deduplicated by CRD number (zero duplicates found). “Regulatory AUM” is Form ADV Item 5.F.(2)(c) – total regulatory assets under management; 615 firms reporting $0 RAUM are excluded from AUM statistics. State assignment uses each firm’s main-office address; SEC-registered firms only (state-registered advisers are not included). Every figure was independently recomputed by a second automated reviewer before publication. This page was materially reviewed on July 23, 2026, and is educational – not personalized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice. See our Editorial Policy, Corrections, Affiliate Disclosure, and Disclaimer.