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As the child of blue-collar workers, Ari Linder grew up wanting to help people, and on paper, a career in social work or nonprofits seemed like the best way to make a difference.

But halfway through their undergraduate degree in New York City, Linder realized, “I just couldn't afford a social work degree as much as I wanted to.”

Now, Linder is a financial adviser for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, and in a conversation with David and John Auten-Schneider on Yahoo Finance’s Living Not So Fabulously podcast, they pointed out just how important it is for transgender people like them to make space for themselves in finance and similar careers.

“I had never seen an engineer, never mind seeing a professional who was also a comfortable, successful person anywhere in the LGBTQ+ community, so I didn't know it was possible for me,” Linder said (see video above or listen below).

“We belong in all of the places, not just nonprofits,” Linder added. “It's not a bad thing to want to do well for yourself financially.”

According to a 2022 study from the Williams Institute, there are an estimated 1.6 million transgender people in the US, 300,000 of whom are under the age of 17.

But those getting started in their careers face a potential wage gap in their workplaces. The Human Rights Campaign found that LGBTQ workers make $0.90 for every dollar the typical American makes, while trans men make $0.70 and trans women make $0.60 for every dollar.

Linder stated that doing well financially isn’t a bad thing — and it can actually provide the resources to better help others in the LGBTQ community. As a financial adviser, Linder said one of the most important parts of their job is knowing their clients, which is why they encourage more LGBTQ people to consider careers in finance.

For instance, an LGBTQ person is more likely to understand the unique financial circumstances of other individuals in the community, such as the need to budget for medical expenses, fertility costs, or greater emergency savings.

When Linder underwent top surgery, a type of gender-affirming care, not only did they have to plan for the healthcare costs associated with the procedure (though Linder shared that the “corporate benefits” helped tremendously), but there were also a series of unexpected costs along the way.

“There are other things ... that our community needs that might not be top of mind for someone who has only worked with one trans person their entire life,” they said.