INTEREST INCOME AND INTEREST EXPENSE (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Interest income:
Margin balances	$ 16,237rjf_MarginBalances	$ 16,628rjf_MarginBalances	$ 33,513rjf_MarginBalances	$ 34,415rjf_MarginBalances
Assets segregated pursuant to regulations and other segregated assets	3,179	3,558	6,789	8,188
Bank loans, net of unearned income	100,054	83,639	196,812	164,848
Available for sale securities	1,284	1,655	2,596	3,578
Trading instruments	4,925	4,615	9,425	9,143
Stock loan	3,699rjf_StockBorrowingInterestIncome	2,809rjf_StockBorrowingInterestIncome	7,210rjf_StockBorrowingInterestIncome	4,682rjf_StockBorrowingInterestIncome
Loans to financial advisors	1,687us-gaap_InterestAndFeeIncomeOtherLoans	1,647us-gaap_InterestAndFeeIncomeOtherLoans	3,437us-gaap_InterestAndFeeIncomeOtherLoans	3,303us-gaap_InterestAndFeeIncomeOtherLoans
Corporate cash and all other	3,348us-gaap_OtherInterestAndDividendIncome	3,842us-gaap_OtherInterestAndDividendIncome	6,740us-gaap_OtherInterestAndDividendIncome	7,329us-gaap_OtherInterestAndDividendIncome
Total interest income	134,413us-gaap_InterestIncomeOperating	118,393us-gaap_InterestIncomeOperating	266,522us-gaap_InterestIncomeOperating	235,486us-gaap_InterestIncomeOperating
Interest expense:
Brokerage client liabilities	241	286	524	717
Retail bank deposits	2,090rjf_InterestExpenseRetailBankDeposits	1,939rjf_InterestExpenseRetailBankDeposits	4,227rjf_InterestExpenseRetailBankDeposits	3,884rjf_InterestExpenseRetailBankDeposits
Trading instruments sold but not yet purchased	1,133	1,255	2,218	2,123
Stock borrow	1,795rjf_StockLoanBorrowingInterestExpense	814rjf_StockLoanBorrowingInterestExpense	3,413rjf_StockLoanBorrowingInterestExpense	1,306rjf_StockLoanBorrowingInterestExpense
Borrowed funds	1,129us-gaap_InterestExpenseBorrowings	876us-gaap_InterestExpenseBorrowings	2,188us-gaap_InterestExpenseBorrowings	1,848us-gaap_InterestExpenseBorrowings
Senior notes	19,009rjf_SeniorNotesInterestExpense	19,010rjf_SeniorNotesInterestExpense	38,019rjf_SeniorNotesInterestExpense	38,020rjf_SeniorNotesInterestExpense
Interest expense of consolidated VIEs	537	797	1,066	1,584
Other	912us-gaap_InterestExpenseOther	1,003us-gaap_InterestExpenseOther	2,575us-gaap_InterestExpenseOther	1,870us-gaap_InterestExpenseOther
Total interest expense	26,846us-gaap_InterestExpense	25,980us-gaap_InterestExpense	54,230us-gaap_InterestExpense	51,352us-gaap_InterestExpense
Net interest income	107,567us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet	92,413us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet	212,292us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet	184,134us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet
Subtract: provision for loan losses	(3,937)us-gaap_ProvisionForLoanAndLeaseLosses	(1,979)us-gaap_ProvisionForLoanAndLeaseLosses	(13,302)us-gaap_ProvisionForLoanAndLeaseLosses	(3,615)us-gaap_ProvisionForLoanAndLeaseLosses
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	$ 103,630	$ 90,434	$ 198,990	$ 180,519

Interest expense on Brokerage client liabilities outstanding.

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Interest Expense Retail Bank Deposits

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Interest income on assets segregated pursuant to regulations and other segregated assets.

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Interest income on margin balances.

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Interest expense on debt that takes priority over other unsecured or more junior debt owed by the issuer. Senior debt has greater seniority in the issuer's capital structure than subordinated debt.

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Interest income on the stock loan/borrow program.

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Interest expense on the stock loan/borrow program.

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Amount of operating dividend and interest income, including amortization and accretion of premiums and discounts, on available-for-sale securities.

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Amount of operating dividend and interest income, including amortization and accretion of premiums and discounts, on trading securities and other forms of securities that provide ownership interests.

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The aggregate interest and fee income generated by: (1) loans the Entity has positive intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future, or until maturity or payoff, including commercial and consumer loans, whether domestic or foreign, which may consist of: (a) industrial and agricultural; (b) real estate; and (c) real estate construction loans; (d) trade financing; (e) lease financing; (f) home equity lines-of-credit; (g) automobile and other vehicle loans; and (h) credit card and other revolving-type loans and (2) loans and leases held-for-sale which may include mortgage loans, direct financing, and sales-type leases.

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Interest and fee income derived from loans not otherwise specified in the existing taxonomy.

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Amount of the cost of borrowed funds accounted for as interest expense.

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Interest expense on beneficial interests issued by consolidated variable interest entities.

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Aggregate amount of interest expense on all borrowings.

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Interest expense on all other items not previously classified. For example, includes dividends associated with redeemable preferred stock of a subsidiary that is treated as a liability in the parent's consolidated balance sheet.

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Interest expense incurred on short positions arising from sales of securities and other assets, which the entity does not own, to other parties. Trading liabilities includes the fair value of derivative contracts held for trading that are in loss positions.

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Amount of interest income or expense, including any amortization and accretion (as applicable) of discounts and premiums, including consideration of the provisions for loan, lease, credit, and other related losses.

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The net amount of operating interest income (expense).

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Includes all other interest income, net of discount accretion and premium amortization, and dividend income. It may include dividend income from equity securities that do not have readily determinable fair values that are reportable in Other Assets, and interest income on interest-only strips receivable (not in the form of a security) that are included in Other Assets.

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Amount of expense related to estimated loss from loan and lease transactions.

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