Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities Revenue Benchmarks

The average trust, fiduciary, and custody activities business in the United States generates $6.7M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 1,982 trust, fiduciary, and custody activities businesses in the U.S., employing 36,114 workers with an average profit margin of 15.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $133K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).

What Does a Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities Business Actually Do?

Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities: Businesses that handle money — lending, investing, insuring risk, or facilitating financial transactions.

Who buys: Consumers, businesses, and institutional clients.

Sector-level description — a more specific write-up is available for high-traffic industries.

Average Revenue

$6.7M

per year

Profit Margin

15.0%

industry average

Revenue / Employee

$368K

per year

Total Businesses

1,982

in the US

Est. Owner Income

$1.0M

small business avg

Labor Cost

30.0%

of revenue

Avg Employee Wage

$133K

per year (BLS)

Market Saturation

0.6

firms per 100K people

How Much Do Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities Charge?

Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities: Financial services earn AUM fees, commissions, spreads, or hourly fees. The specifics vary within the trust, fiduciary, and custody activities category — the ranges below are typical for the sector.

ServiceTypical range
Investment mgmt (AUM)
0.5–1.5% of assets/year
Financial planning (hourly)
$150–500/hour
Financial planning (flat)
$1,500–7,500 one-time
Insurance commission
5–15% of premium first year

Sector-typical ranges — individual services within this industry may fall higher or lower.

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A 12-section data-backed business plan for a trust, fiduciary, and custody activities business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.

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Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes

Approximate P&L breakdown for the trust, fiduciary, and custody activities industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.

8%
30%
11%
8%
27%
15%
CategoryPer $100 revenue
Claims & interest paid
$8
Wages & benefits
$30
Rent & facilities
$11
Marketing & advertising
$8
Other operating costs
$27
Net profit
$15

Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.

Average Revenue by Business Size

1-4 employees
$368K
5-9 employees
$1.7M
10-19 employees
$4.5M
20-99 employees
$14.0M
100-499 employees
$37.5M
500+ employees
$124.8M

Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)

New Business Rate

10.96%

openings/year

Closure Rate

8%

closings/year

Net Job Growth

+4.95%

annual

Businesses Closed

4,532

in 2023

Firm Count Trend

19
20
21
22
23
46,606 firms52,814 firms

Should You Start a Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities Business?

Startup Cost

$50K$250K

Break-Even

2 months

5-Year Survival Rate

50.0%

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a trust, fiduciary, and custody activities business do?
Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities: Businesses that handle money — lending, investing, insuring risk, or facilitating financial transactions. Consumers, businesses, and institutional clients.
How much do trust, fiduciary, and custody activities charge?
Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities: Financial services earn AUM fees, commissions, spreads, or hourly fees. The specifics vary within the trust, fiduciary, and custody activities category — the ranges below are typical for the sector. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
How much does the average trust, fiduciary, and custody activities make per year?
The average trust, fiduciary, and custody activities business generates $6.7M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $1.0M per year at a 15.0% profit margin.
How many trust, fiduciary, and custody activities businesses are there in the US?
There are 1,982 trust, fiduciary, and custody activities businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 36,114 workers.
How much does it cost to start a trust, fiduciary, and custody activities business?
Startup costs for a trust, fiduciary, and custody activities business typically range from $50K to $250K, with a 5-year survival rate of 50.0%.
What is the average salary in the trust, fiduciary, and custody activities industry?
The average employee in the trust, fiduciary, and custody activities industry earns $133K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).

Industry Growth & Survival

66%
Est. 5-year survival rate
+5.0%
Net job growth rate
52,814
Total firms (2023)

The trust, fiduciary, and custody activities industry is actively growing — adding jobs at a net rate of 5.0% per year. New establishments are opening faster than existing ones close (11.0% entry vs 8.0% exit), indicating healthy demand.

Approximately 66% of trust, fiduciary, and custody activities businesses survive their first 5 years. This is above the national average (~50%), making it a relatively safe industry to enter. In 2023, 4,532 firms in this industry closed permanently.

Employment & Wages

$133,177
Avg annual pay
3,006
Establishments
20,990
Total employees
7
Avg employees/business

The average employee in the trust, fiduciary, and custody activities industry earns $133,177/year. This is significantly above the national average of ~$65K, reflecting the skilled nature of this work. With 3,006 establishments employing 20,990 people, the typical business has about 7 employees.

Industry Trend (2000–2023)

23K31K40K49K58K20002005201020152020Number of Firms

The trust, fiduciary, and custody activities industry has grown 111% since 2000 (from 25,041 to 52,814 firms).

See full historical statistics →

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