Earnings

• Typically, stockbrokers are given a percentage of the money returned from their investments for their client. A stockbroker's job is both high risk and high reward. The median salary of a stockbroker in 2009 is just under $70,000. About 10 percent earn more than $145,000 a year, and about 10 percent earn less than $30,000.
  
  

Different Career Titles

• Stockbrokers can have different career titles, depending upon what they do. One is retail investor, who buys and sells stock for his personal accounts, rather than a company. Other titles include securities agent, stock trader and commodities sales agent.
  
  

Financial Services Sales Agent

• Another career for a stockbroker is as a financial services sales agent. People in this particular field sell a variety of banking, accounting, securities, insurance and tax preparation services. Due to the amount of money that a financial services sales agent can earn, competition is rather intense. Many people succeed in the field, but just as many are forced to leave because of underperformance.
  
  

Education Requirements

• It is not required to have any formal training or education to begin a career as a stockbroker. Many brokers have earned degrees in business, finance, accounting or economics, but it is not required to have a degree in any of those fields to get a job as a stockbroker.
  
  

Licensing

• Stockbrokers in the United States must register with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Employees must pass the Series 7 Exam before they can be considered a registered representative. They must have also worked for at least four months with a registered firm. Many states require an additional exam, but employers typically train their employees to assist them in passing.