State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Real Estate Agent Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Real Estate Sales Agents is $52,830 a year ($25.40/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 3.1% through 2034, with about 36,600 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 41-9022Sales and RelatedLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $52,830
- Projected growth
- +3.1%
- Openings a year
- 36,600
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Real Estate Agent, Real Estate Salesperson, Realtor, Realtor Associate, Sales Agent.
How much do Real Estate Sales Agents make?
10th percentile$32,970
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$40,040
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$52,830
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$82,020
Upper quartile
90th percentile$123,590
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $52,830 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $25.40/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $69,510 |
| People employed | 193,370 |
Versus all US occupations
At $52,830, Real Estate Sales Agents earn 4% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $1,850 a year.
Versus sales and related occupations
Inside the Sales and Related group, where the middle occupation pays $51,495, this is 3% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $123,590 or more while the bottom 10% earn $32,970, a gap of 3.7×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 34% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $123,770, and still leads at $112,620 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Real Estate Sales Agents the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $123,770 | $112,620 | 590 |
| New York | $102,990 | $95,431 | 8,660 |
| New Jersey | $99,990 | $91,898 | N/A |
| Alaska | $89,170 | $87,115 | 170 |
| Nevada | $79,990 | $80,007 | 1,490 |
| Washington | $79,130 | $73,944 | 5,150 |
| Montana | $79,100 | $83,575 | 370 |
| New Mexico | $76,170 | $82,603 | 550 |
| North Dakota | $73,920 | $83,094 | N/A |
| South Dakota | $65,170 | $73,567 | 640 |
Is Real Estate Agent a growing career?
Real Estate Sales Agents3.1%
All US occupations3.1%
+3.1% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Real Estate Sales Agents to change 3.1% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 12,800 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 36,600 openings are projected each year, 8.7% of the 420,900 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of real estate brokers and sales agents is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
There will be a continued demand for real estate brokers and sales agents because people turn to these workers when looking for a new home, relocating, or purchasing property for a business, among other reasons. Employment is projected to grow along with the real estate market.
Tighter credit regulations and increasing real estate prices may force some people to continue renting as opposed to entering the housing market, which may result in fewer new jobs for real estate brokers and sales agents.
How to become a Real Estate Agent
Real estate brokers and sales agents typically need a high school diploma or equivalent to enter the occupation. They also must complete a number of real estate courses and pass a licensing exam. States typically require licensed agents to have experience before obtaining a broker’s license.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as real estate sales agents.
- High School Diploma42.9%
- Post-Secondary Certificate23.8%
- Less than a High School Diploma9.5%
- Some College Courses9.5%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)4.8%
What does a Real Estate Agent do?
Rent, buy, or sell property for clients. Perform duties such as study property listings, interview prospective clients, accompany clients to property site, discuss conditions of sale, and draw up real estate contracts. Includes agents who represent buyer.
Real estate brokers and sales agents help clients buy, sell, and rent properties. Although brokers and agents do similar work, brokers are licensed to manage their own real estate businesses. Sales agents must work with a real estate broker.
Day-to-day tasks
- Prepare documents such as representation contracts, purchase agreements, closing statements, deeds, and leases.
- Present purchase offers to sellers for consideration.
- Act as an intermediary in negotiations between buyers and sellers, generally representing one or the other.
- Generate lists of properties that are compatible with buyers' needs and financial resources.
- Confer with escrow companies, lenders, home inspectors, and pest control operators to ensure that terms and conditions of purchase agreements are met before closing dates.
- Promote sales of properties through advertisements, open houses, and participation in multiple listing services.
- Compare a property with similar properties that have recently sold to determine its competitive market price.
- Interview clients to determine what kinds of properties they are seeking.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where real estate sales agents work
| Self-employed workers | 54% |
|---|---|
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 40% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Speaking4.0/5
- Critical Thinking3.6/5
- Reading Comprehension3.4/5
- Writing3.4/5
- Mathematics3.1/5
- Active Learning3.1/5
- Monitoring3.0/5
Transferable skills
- Negotiation3.9/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.8/5
- Coordination3.8/5
- Persuasion3.6/5
- Service Orientation3.5/5
- Time Management3.4/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.1/5
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Video conferencing software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Real Estate Agent?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic2.1
Investigative1.5
Artistic1.9
Socialprimary3.5
Enterprisingprimary6.5
Conventionalprimary4.9
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Real Estate Agent: frequently asked questions
How much do Real Estate Sales Agents make?
Real Estate Sales Agents earn a median of $52,830 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 4% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $25.40/hr. The middle half earn between $40,040 and $82,020. The top 10% earn $123,590 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Real Estate Agent?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Real Estate Sales Agents. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 42.9% hold high school diploma.
Is Real Estate Agent a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.1% over 2024–2034, about the same as the 3.1% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 36,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Real Estate Agent do?
Real estate brokers and sales agents help clients buy, sell, and rent properties. A core O*NET task: prepare documents such as representation contracts, purchase agreements, closing statements, deeds, and leases. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Data base user interface and query software, Document management software.
Which states pay Real Estate Sales Agents the most?
The highest state medians for Real Estate Sales Agents are District of Columbia ($123,770), New York ($102,990), New Jersey ($99,990) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Real Estate Agent?
O*NET scores Real Estate Sales Agents highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Social interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESFJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.