Real Estate Agent Pay Guide: Salary Ranges and Factors
Commission-based earnings, a wide percentile spread and large state-to-state gaps mean two agents holding the same license can take home very different sums.
The median annual wage for real estate sales agents was $52,830 in May 2025, with the lowest 10 percent earning under $32,970 and the highest 10 percent over $123,590 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). That spread is wider than in most licensed occupations because most agents are paid from commission splits rather than a salary, so income tracks how many deals you close.
Where you work matters as much as how long you have worked. State median pay for sales agents runs from $38,180 in Arkansas to $123,770 in the District of Columbia (NueCareer reporting BLS OEWS data, May 2025) — a gap no national average can describe.
What the Typical Real Estate Agent Earns
The median annual wage for real estate sales agents was $52,830 in May 2025 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). Median means half of agents earned more and half earned less. Around that midpoint, the lowest 10 percent earned less than $32,970 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $123,590 in the same period (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). The 25th percentile sat at $40,040 and the 75th percentile at $82,020 (Paperless Pipeline reporting BLS OEWS data, May 2025).
The mean (average) annual wage for sales agents was $69,510 in May 2025 — about $16,700 above the median, a gap the source attributes to high earners pulling the average up (Paperless Pipeline reporting BLS OEWS data, May 2025). When you see a figure near $69,510, it is an average and overstates what a mid-pack agent takes home; the $52,830 median is the better reference point.
Two other figures circulate and mean different things. BLS reports 2025 median pay of $57,400 a year, or $27.59 an hour, for the combined occupation "real estate brokers and sales agents" — brokers included (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). Brokers alone had a median of $73,220, with the bottom 10 percent under $37,110 and the top 10 percent above $143,300 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). Separately, the National Association of REALTORS put median gross income for its members at $58,100 in 2024, up from $55,800 in 2023 (National Association of REALTORS, August 2025) — that is gross income before an agent's own business expenses.
None of these national numbers holds evenly across the country. New York's mean for sales agents was $112,730 in May 2025 against Idaho's $46,650, the lowest published state mean (Paperless Pipeline reporting BLS OEWS data, May 2025).
Pay by Experience Level
| Level | Typical annual range | What separates this tier |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level (two years or less) | $32,970-$40,040 | Newly licensed and building a pipeline; NAR members with two years or less in the business reported median gross income of $8,100, so part-year and part-time starters sit below the BLS wage floor (National Association of REALTORS, August 2025) |
| Mid-career (past the first two years) | $40,040-$82,020 | Spans the 25th to 75th percentile around the $52,830 median (Paperless Pipeline reporting BLS OEWS data, May 2025); repeat and referral business plus a more favourable broker split |
| Experienced / senior (16 or more years, or broker-licensed) | $82,020-$123,590 and above | Top quartile through top decile; REALTORS with 16 or more years reported median gross income of $78,900 (National Association of REALTORS, August 2025), and brokers had a $73,220 median with the top 10 percent above $143,300 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025) |
Ranges are built from BLS OEWS percentile wages for real estate sales agents, May 2025 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025; 25th and 75th percentile detail via Paperless Pipeline reporting BLS OEWS data, May 2025). The experience bands are indicative: BLS publishes percentiles, not tenure brackets, and the tenure figures come from NAR's member survey, which measures gross income rather than wages.
The typical REALTOR in the 2025 Member Profile had 12 years of experience, up from 10 in the prior year's report, and completed 10 transaction sides in 2024, holding steady from 2023 (National Association of REALTORS, August 2025). Tenure and transaction count, not job titles, are what move you between these tiers.
What Affects Pay
- Which state you work in. State medians for sales agents run from $38,180 in Arkansas, which is $85,590 below the highest-paying state, up to $123,770 in the District of Columbia (NueCareer reporting BLS OEWS data, May 2025). New York's median was $102,990 and New Jersey's $99,990 (same source).
- Agent licence versus broker licence. Brokers had a median annual wage of $73,220 in May 2025 against $52,830 for sales agents (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). The broker median is 44 percent above the $50,980 median across all U.S. occupations, a difference of $22,240 a year (NueCareer reporting BLS OEWS and BLS Employment Projections data, May 2025). Most states require at least 2 years of licensed sales-agent experience before you can sit for a broker's licence (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025).
- Your commission split. Total commission is typically modelled at 5 to 6 percent of the sale price, divided between the buy side and sell side, with the agent's share of their own side ranging from 50/50 up to 70/30 as production and tenure increase (TutorsBot reporting BLS OEWS data and industry commission conventions, May 2025). Moving up that ladder raises your share of each side from 50 percent to as much as 70 percent on identical closings.
- Split versus desk fee. Most REALTORS work on a broker-agent commission split, while some brokerages let agents keep the full commission in exchange for a monthly desk fee, shifting overhead onto the agent (RealEstateU citing NAR's Agent Income page, 2024). High producers gain from desk-fee models; low-volume agents pay the fee whether or not they close.
- Transaction volume. The median REALTOR closed 10 transaction sides in 2024 and reported median gross income of $58,100, up from $55,800 in 2023 (National Association of REALTORS, August 2025). Income scales with sides closed and the local price point behind each one.
- Experience. Within NAR's membership, median gross income was $78,900 for those with 16 or more years in the business against $8,100 for those with two years or less (National Association of REALTORS, August 2025).
Pay by State or Metro Area
Ordered by mean annual wage, highest first.
| State | Mean annual wage | Note |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $112,730 | Highest state mean for sales agents; state median $102,990 |
| District of Columbia | $99,500 | Highest published state-level median, at $123,770 |
| New Jersey | $92,310 | State median $99,990; highest-paying state for brokers at $111,390 |
| Montana | $89,580 | High mean on a smaller agent population |
| Alaska | $88,330 | Rounds out the top five by mean |
| Idaho | $46,650 | Lowest published state mean |
| Arkansas | Median $38,180 | Lowest state median, $85,590 below the highest-paying state |
Mean figures are averages; median figures are midpoints, and the two are labelled separately above. Sources: BLS OEWS, May 2025, as reported by SignalBleed (top-five state means), Paperless Pipeline (New York, New Jersey, Montana and Idaho means) and NueCareer (District of Columbia, New York, New Jersey and Arkansas medians, and the New Jersey broker figure). Check the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics pages for your own state and metro before you use any of these in a negotiation — OEWS publishes metro-level detail that state figures hide.
How to Increase Your Earnings
- Get and keep the licence. All states require real estate brokers and sales agents to be licensed; minimum requirements typically include being at least 18, holding a high school diploma or equivalent, completing prelicensing courses and passing an exam, with renewal usually every 2 to 4 years (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). A lapsed renewal stops your income entirely.
- Push past the first two years. NAR members with two years or less in the business reported median gross income of $8,100, against $78,900 for those with 16 or more years (National Association of REALTORS, August 2025). That is the largest documented income gradient in the field, and most of it comes from repeat and referral business you cannot buy in year one.
- Renegotiate your split as production rises. Splits commonly move from 50/50 toward 70/30 in the agent's favour with tenure and volume, within a total commission usually modelled at 5 to 6 percent of the sale price (TutorsBot reporting BLS OEWS data and industry commission conventions, May 2025). Bring your closed-sides count — the median REALTOR closed 10 sides in 2024 (National Association of REALTORS, August 2025) — and ask for the next tier once you clear it.
- Model the desk-fee option. Some brokerages let you keep the full commission for a monthly desk fee instead of a split (RealEstateU citing NAR's Agent Income page, 2024). Price a full year of fees against what your current split costs you on your actual closings before switching.
- Qualify as a broker. The broker median of $73,220 is 44 percent above the $50,980 median across all U.S. occupations, a difference of $22,240 a year (NueCareer reporting BLS OEWS and BLS Employment Projections data, May 2025), and the top 10 percent of brokers earned more than $143,300 in May 2025 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). Most states require at least 2 years as a licensed sales agent first (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025).
- Weigh a move to a higher-paying market. The mean for sales agents was $112,730 in New York against $46,650 in Idaho in May 2025 (Paperless Pipeline reporting BLS OEWS data, May 2025). Licensing is state by state, and living costs tend to move with the pay.
Frequently asked questions
Are real estate agents paid hourly or by commission?
Most are paid from commission splits rather than wages (RealEstateU citing NAR's Agent Income page, 2024). BLS does publish an hourly figure of $27.59 for the combined brokers-and-sales-agents occupation in 2025, alongside its $57,400 annual median for the same group (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). Treat the hourly number as a statistical equivalent, not a paycheque: commission income arrives at closing, not on a weekly or biweekly cycle.
Why is the average agent salary higher than the median?
Because a small group of very high earners lifts the average. The mean for sales agents was $69,510 in May 2025, about $16,700 above the $52,830 median (Paperless Pipeline reporting BLS OEWS data, May 2025). Use the median when estimating your own likely earnings, and the 25th percentile figure of $40,040 if you are planning a cautious first-year budget.
How much do part-time or brand-new agents make?
Far less than the BLS wage floor suggests. NAR members with two years or less in the business reported median gross income of $8,100 for 2024 (National Association of REALTORS, August 2025), a figure that mixes part-time entrants with people who closed nothing. BLS percentile wages for sales agents start at $32,970 for the lowest 10 percent in May 2025 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025), so the two measures are not describing the same group of people.
Is it worth getting a broker's licence?
On the pay numbers, the broker median of $73,220 in May 2025 sits above the $52,830 sales-agent median, and the top 10 percent of brokers cleared $143,300 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). The cost is time — most states require at least 2 years of licensed sales experience first, plus broker-level coursework (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025) — and overhead you did not previously carry if you open your own brokerage.
Is the job market for agents growing?
Slowly. Employment of real estate brokers and sales agents is projected to grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, slower than the average for all occupations, from about 530,600 jobs in 2025, with roughly 40,400 openings a year as people leave the field (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). Broker employment specifically is projected to grow 0.8 percent through 2035, with about 7,800 openings a year (NueCareer reporting BLS OEWS and BLS Employment Projections data, May 2025).
Where should I check current pay for my own area?
Start with the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables, which publish state and metro percentile wages; the May 2025 release is the basis for most figures here. Pair that with NAR's member income reporting, which put median gross income at $58,100 for 2024 against $55,800 for 2023, on a typical 10 transaction sides (National Association of REALTORS, August 2025), and with the actual split and fee schedule of any brokerage you are considering.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents : Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025)
- Paperless Pipeline (reporting BLS OEWS data) — Real Estate Agent Salary Statistics 2026: What Agents and Realtors Actually Earn (2025-05)