Real estate brokers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,110 | $17.84 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $73,220 | $35.20 |
| Mean (average) | $83,950 | $40.36 |
| 90th percentile | $143,300 | $68.89 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Real estate brokers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 40 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $82,630 | $58,120 | $82,630 | 460 | 0.73 |
| Alaska | $65,820 | $37,490 | $151,190 | 100 | 1.01 |
| Arizona | $74,260 | $52,040 | $123,770 | 3,790 | 3.95 |
| Arkansas | $73,800 | $29,280 | $124,990 | 120 | 0.3 |
| California | $80,450 | $37,120 | $145,660 | 8,430 | 1.56 |
| Colorado | $79,970 | $44,320 | $135,200 | 3,280 | 3.84 |
| Connecticut | $105,800 | $73,290 | $109,260 | ||
| Delaware | $68,690 | $58,370 | $103,690 | 100 | 0.69 |
| Florida | $66,010 | $38,320 | $162,500 | 3,640 | 1.23 |
| Hawaii | $74,310 | $35,560 | $133,870 | 160 | 0.87 |
| Idaho | $57,660 | $38,930 | $123,690 | 380 | 1.51 |
| Illinois | $62,540 | $35,450 | $137,380 | 990 | 0.55 |
| Indiana | $75,000 | $30,190 | $211,420 | 740 | 0.77 |
| Iowa | $50,140 | $19,880 | $152,170 | ||
| Kansas | $69,990 | $18,550 | $125,210 | 290 | 0.69 |
| Kentucky | Data unavailable | 150 | 0.25 | ||
| Maine | $55,280 | $35,190 | $136,090 | ||
| Maryland | $81,550 | $56,320 | $164,860 | 430 | 0.53 |
| Michigan | $82,510 | $43,990 | $118,680 | 1,150 | 0.88 |
| Minnesota | $39,850 | $36,190 | $146,130 | ||
| Mississippi | $41,690 | $30,470 | $100,910 | 60 | 0.19 |
| Missouri | $62,280 | $31,590 | $111,070 | 1,980 | 2.28 |
| Montana | $63,240 | $24,730 | $123,780 | 400 | 2.65 |
| New Hampshire | $51,490 | $30,920 | $202,900 | 120 | 0.6 |
| New Jersey | $111,390 | $47,750 | $111,390 | 1,290 | 1.01 |
| New Mexico | $80,340 | $61,360 | $154,620 | ||
| North Carolina | $52,830 | $17,990 | $123,160 | 1,560 | 1.07 |
| North Dakota | $73,300 | $72,630 | $78,730 | 80 | 0.64 |
| Ohio | $64,510 | $42,390 | $125,840 | ||
| Oregon | $63,070 | $44,980 | $96,980 | 1,670 | 2.86 |
| Pennsylvania | Data unavailable | 1,200 | 0.67 | ||
| South Carolina | Data unavailable | 760 | 1.11 | ||
| Tennessee | $60,150 | $33,560 | $108,370 | 540 | 0.55 |
| Texas | $63,390 | $35,970 | $111,090 | 2,040 | 0.49 |
| Utah | $92,830 | $47,280 | $148,070 | ||
| Vermont | $76,920 | $45,170 | $105,770 | 80 | 0.92 |
| Virginia | $77,270 | $45,250 | $189,360 | 1,500 | 1.23 |
| Washington | $82,790 | $77,830 | $103,140 | ||
| West Virginia | $58,960 | $36,040 | $171,600 | 140 | 0.7 |
| Wisconsin | Data unavailable | 440 | 0.5 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for real estate brokers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 7,800. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 54.9%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for real estate brokers
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Real Estate Development CIP 04.1001
- Real Estate CIP 52.1501
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Obtain agreements from property owners to place properties for sale with real estate firms.
- Sell, for a fee, real estate owned by others.
- Compare a property with similar properties that have recently sold to determine its competitive market price.
- Act as an intermediary in negotiations between buyers and sellers over property prices and settlement details and during the closing of sales.
- Generate lists of properties for sale, their locations, descriptions, and available financing options, using computers.
- Maintain knowledge of real estate law, local economies, fair housing laws, types of available mortgages, financing options, and government programs.
- Rent properties or manage rental properties.
- Monitor fulfillment of purchase contract terms to ensure that they are handled in a timely manner.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Facebook (hot technology)
- Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Salesforce software (hot technology)
- Yardi software (hot technology)
- AMTdirect
- AppFolio Property Manager
- Deep Forest Systems OnCite
- Domin-8 Enterprise Solutions Tenant Pro
Transferable skills for career changers: Negotiation, Persuasion, Judgment and Decision Making, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Coordination.
Common job titles: Broker, Broker Associate, Commercial Leasing Broker, Commercial Real Estate Advisor, Commercial Real Estate Broker, Designated Broker, Managing Broker, Real Estate Associate, Real Estate Sales Associate, Realtor.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do real estate brokers make?
The national median annual wage for real estate brokers was $73,220 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $37,110 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $143,300. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do real estate brokers need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with less than 5 years of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is real estate brokers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of real estate brokers to change +0.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 7,800 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay real estate brokers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were New Jersey ($111,390), Connecticut ($105,800), Utah ($92,830). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.