Real estate agent earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level real estate agent earnings begin at:

$56.04 per hour

$116,571 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level real estate agent earnings begin at:

$39.19 per hour

$81,507 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level real estate agent earnings begin at:

$26.33 per hour

$54,770 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level real estate agent earnings begin at:

$17.69 per hour

$36,803 per year

10th percentile

Starting level real estate agent earnings begin at:

$12.37 per hour

$25,733 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Real estate agent salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Wyoming $71,430
Alaska $70,267
Texas $69,594
Rhode Island $65,680
Hawaii $64,940
North Dakota $64,090
West Virginia $63,690
Puerto Rico $62,640
Colorado $60,990
North Carolina $59,920
California $59,420
Massachusetts $58,760
Florida $58,730
Idaho $57,674
Maryland $57,450
South Dakota $56,860
Vermont $56,380
Pennsylvania $54,770
Washington $54,630
Iowa $52,138
Utah $51,710
New Jersey $51,400
Alabama $51,250
Illinois $51,155
Tennessee $51,100
Arizona $50,640
Virginia $49,690
New Mexico $49,540
Oregon $49,162
Missouri $48,920
Indiana $48,562
Kansas $48,090
Nevada $47,480
New Hampshire $46,930
Maine $46,500
Mississippi $46,380
Kentucky $46,162
Michigan $46,160
District of Columbia $45,800
Georgia $44,500
Montana $44,300
Delaware $43,940
Nebraska $43,610
Oklahoma $42,290
South Carolina $42,160
Wisconsin $41,080
Minnesota $40,870
Connecticut $38,580
Louisiana $35,860
Ohio $35,190
Arkansas $32,725
New York $116,460

How much does a Real Estate Agent earn?

How much agents make depends on the number of transactions they complete, the commission paid to the brokerage, and their split with the sponsoring broker. It is very hard to make money as a real estate agent right away. Most first-year real estate agents earn very little at first, primarily because they are struggling to learn everything while they build a client base. Agents who are just starting out typically receive a low commission split while they learn the business (it is not unusual for a first-year agent to make about 50% of the commission paid to the broker).

Being a real estate agent is like running a business. It takes time and a lot of effort to build up a business. In the beginning, you have to work hard and get out of your comfort zone. Once you build up the business and get clients, business will come to you and you will not have to put as much effort into the business.

There are almost one million real estate agents in the United States. Income statistics can be very misleading because there are many part-time agents. The median income for a full-time real estate agent in 2012 was over $54,000. The median income is over $87,000 a year for those who work more than 60 hours per week. More than 21 percent of realtors make over $100,000 a year, which shows realtors can make a lot of money when they work full-time and have a plan.

Top producers earn a lot more than the average real estate agent. Each real estate office sets its own standards for top producers, but it's probably safe to say that a top producer would need to sell at least one home a month to qualify. Mega-stars earn $200,000 per year and up.

How do real estate agent salaries compare to similar careers?

Real estate agents earn about the same as related careers in Pennsylvania. On average, they make less than arbitrators but more than meter readers.

Career Median Salary
Arbitrator salary $68K
Real estate appraiser salary $59K
Account manager salary $46K
Insurance appraiser salary $67K
Energy broker salary $59K
Real estate agent salary $55K
Executive assistant salary $59K
Digital marketing specialist salary $47K
Firefighter salary $56K
Meter reader salary $52K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)