Turns land and old buildings into new homes, offices or shopping centers by finding sites, raising money and managing the project from idea to opening. BLS does not publish separate figures for property, real estate, and community association managers; it counts them within property, real estate, and community association manager (SOC 11-9141), whose median pay is $69,990 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 11-9141
- Management
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Real Estate Developer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $69,990a year, or $33.65/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $41KTop 10% $140K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.7%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 36,900460,400 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025460.4K
- Projected 2035477.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 460.4K Projected 2035 477.6K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Development Manager, Real Estate Development Manager, Development Associate, Commercial Real Estate Developer, Vice President of Development.
Pay
How much do Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers make?
Every real estate developer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$69,990
Middle half earn $50,720 to $97,910
- 10th
- $41,010
- 25th
- $50,720
- 75th
- $97,910
- 90th
- $139,680
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $41,010 |
| 25th | $50,720 |
| Median | $69,990 |
| 75th | $97,910 |
| 90th | $139,680 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $69,990
- Median hourly wage
- $33.65/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $83,710
- People employed
- 311,180
Versus all US occupations
At $69,990, Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers earn 37% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $19,010 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 44% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $139,680 or more while the bottom 10% earn $41,010, a gap of 3.4×. 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 45% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Washington pays the most at $119,320, and still leads at $111,500 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers the most?
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.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $119,320 | $111,500 | 2,950 |
| 2Massachusetts | $103,410 | $97,781 | 7,320 |
| 3Colorado | $100,080 | $97,116 | 2,230 |
| 4New York | $99,390 | $92,095 | 11,390 |
| 5District of Columbia | $94,080 | $85,604 | 2,040 |
| 6New Jersey | $82,850 | $76,145 | 7,110 |
| 7Maryland | $81,900 | $78,030 | 6,060 |
| 8Rhode Island | $80,260 | $78,471 | 730 |
| 9Virginia | $79,810 | $78,939 | 5,570 |
| 10Oregon | $78,060 | $75,522 | 3,190 |
Job outlook
Is Real Estate Developer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers | +3.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers to change 3.7% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 17,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 36,900 openings are projected each year, 8.0% of the 460,400 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Real Estate Developer
Many developers hold a bachelor's degree in real estate, finance, architecture, engineering or urban planning. Graduate programs such as the Master of Real Estate Development at USC and similar programs at other universities train people specifically for development.
Common entry points include development associate or analyst roles at development firms, real estate investment, construction management or brokerage. Professional groups such as NAIOP and the Urban Land Institute offer education and networking, and the CCIM Institute's courses cover investment analysis. Some developers start small by renovating houses or small buildings before taking on larger projects.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Real Estate Developer do?
Real estate developers create new properties or reposition old ones. They find land or buildings, decide what to build, and pull together everything needed to make it happen: financing, zoning approvals, architects, engineers, contractors and tenants.
A project can take years. Developers analyze markets and build financial models, negotiate land purchases, raise equity from investors and loans from banks, and steer projects through public hearings and permits. During construction they manage budgets and schedules, and at the end they lease or sell the property. Developers specialize in apartments, offices, industrial warehouses, retail, hotels or mixed-use projects.
Day-to-day tasks
- Identify and evaluate sites for development
- Build financial models for project feasibility
- Negotiate land purchases and joint venture agreements
- Secure construction loans and investor equity
- Obtain zoning approvals and building permits
- Manage architects, engineers and contractors
- Lease or sell completed properties
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Developers split time between offices, job sites, city hall and meetings with investors and lenders. Hours are often long, and projects come with financial risk and public scrutiny. Travel depends on whether the firm works locally or across regions. Site visits require some time outdoors and on active construction sites.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Writing3.8
- Monitoring3.4
- Active Learning3.1
- Mathematics3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.4 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Mathematics | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Coordination3.8
- Negotiation3.6
- Social Perceptiveness3.5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Management of Financial Resources3.3
- Management of Personnel Resources3.3
- Persuasion3.1
- Time Management3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Coordination | 3.8 |
| Negotiation | 3.6 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.5 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Management of Financial Resources | 3.3 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.3 |
| Persuasion | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Data mining software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Web platform development 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.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Real Estate Developer?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ERC) built on O*NET's Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Real Estate Developer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 7 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Enterprising6.7
- Conventional5.3
- Realistic4.1
- Social3.5
- Investigative2.1
- Artistic1.7
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.
Explore further
Careers related to Real Estate Developer
O*NET related occupations
- Management
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager
$69,990median a year
Most earn $41K to $140K
+3.7%High school - Sales and Related
- Sales and Related
- Management
- Business and Financial Operations
- Business and Financial Operations
Purchasing Agent, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products
$77,710median a year
Most earn $48K to $129K
+6.0%Bachelor's
More management careers
Median annual pay, with property, real estate, and community association managers highlighted
- IT Manager$175,140
- Marketing Manager$166,790
- Financial Manager$166,570
- Human Resources Manager$149,280
- Sales Manager$148,270
- Construction Manager$114,990
- Supply Chain Manager$107,230
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager$69,990
- Real Estate Developer$69,990
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| IT Manager | $175,140 |
| Marketing Manager | $166,790 |
| Financial Manager | $166,570 |
| Human Resources Manager | $149,280 |
| Sales Manager | $148,270 |
| Construction Manager | $114,990 |
| Supply Chain Manager | $107,230 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager | $69,990 |
| Real Estate Developer | $69,990 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Real Estate Developer appears on
Questions
Real Estate Developer: frequently asked questions
How much do Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for property, real estate, and community association managers. It counts them within property, real estate, and community association manager, whose median pay is $69,990 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $50,720 and $97,910, and the top 10% earn $139,680 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Real Estate Developer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training.
Is Real Estate Developer a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.7% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 36,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Real Estate Developer do?
Real estate developers create new properties or reposition old ones. A typical task: identify and evaluate sites for development. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Data base user interface and query software, Data mining software.
Which states pay Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers the most?
The highest state medians for Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers are Washington ($119,320), Massachusetts ($103,410), Colorado ($100,080) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Real Estate Developer?
O*NET scores Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Realistic 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 that lines up most closely with ESTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.