Super funds expand advice capacities with higher salaries

Superannuation funds are expanding their activities in the advice space and a leading recruitment firm has shared the typical salaries on offer with three funds namechecked for their attractive offerings.

The latest Kaizen Recruitment 2026 Wealth Management Salary Guide revealed super funds are acting fast as many Australians are seeking financial guidance as they approach retirement as well as simpler advice about their funds.  

This is exacerbated by the wider retail adviser shortage which means it can be difficult for retail clients to receive advice, prompting super funds to fill the gap.

Super funds are also responding to tighter regulation by increasing their advisory capacity to meet compliance requirements and maintain member trust.

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By increasing their advisory teams, super funds can enhance member engagement through personalised advice, improve members’ financial outcomes in retirement, attract talent and meet regulatory standards, it said.  

Although salaries are typically somewhat lower than the broader advice market, Kaizen suggested that it could still be an attractive option for advisers who have faced a salary cut or desire a “more predictable work environment”.  

According to Kaizen Recruitment (November 2025), intra-fund financial advisers with two to five years’ experience typically earn between $115,000 and $170,000 inclusive of super, financial advisers providing limited advice with three to five years’ experience earn between $140,000 and $175,000, and financial advisers offering comprehensive advice with four to seven years’ experience earn between $175,000 and $190,000.

As well as their base salaries, super funds also use a balanced scorecard approach based on advisers’ call volumes, advice plans, compliance and advice quality, member satisfaction and appointment targets.

This means a bonus potential of 10-20 per cent although some super funds pay higher base salaries in lieu of bonuses to align with member-first principles.

Additional benefits may include higher contributions to their own superannuation and and or above-market salaries offered by larger funds such as AustralianSuper, ART and Cbus to attract and retain talent.  

It is not only human-led advice that is on offer as some super funds are piloting the use of digital advice. This week, AMP announced it has released a retirement planner and three stand-alone retirement sub-journeys to support its AMP Super Fund members with retirement advice.  

This includes a super projections pathway to help members assess their potential retirement income, what government age pension they may be eligible for, how they might benefit from a lifetime income solution, and if they are on track for their retirement goals.

Aware Super has launched Retirement Manager, in partnership with Bravura Solutions, which is currently in pilot with a small group of members and is expected to be made available to all eligible members aged 60 and over later this year.

Meanwhile, UniSuper has a digital advice service with Ignition Advice to provide members with “accessible, affordable personal advice, at scale, covering superannuation, insurance, investments, and retirement options”.