Real estate agent earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level real estate agent earnings begin at:

$93.57 per hour

$194,630 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level real estate agent earnings begin at:

$43.83 per hour

$91,170 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level real estate agent earnings begin at:

$38.03 per hour

$79,100 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level real estate agent earnings begin at:

$32.50 per hour

$67,590 per year

10th percentile

Starting level real estate agent earnings begin at:

$23.56 per hour

$49,010 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Real estate agent salary by state

State Name Average Salary
New Jersey $99,990
Alaska $89,170
Nevada $79,990
Washington $79,130
Montana $79,100
New Mexico $76,170
North Dakota $73,920
South Dakota $65,170
Virginia $63,980
Colorado $63,670
Puerto Rico $62,640
Oregon $61,610
Alabama $60,890
Rhode Island $60,310
Illinois $59,220
West Virginia $59,050
Arizona $58,780
Massachusetts $58,760
Kentucky $58,610
Wisconsin $58,120
Michigan $57,880
New Hampshire $57,620
California $57,560
Maine $56,930
South Carolina $56,580
Vermont $56,380
Pennsylvania $56,040
Maryland $52,630
Iowa $52,138
North Carolina $51,240
Utah $50,720
Wyoming $49,990
Florida $49,310
Oklahoma $47,980
Nebraska $47,240
Delaware $47,180
Indiana $46,880
Connecticut $46,770
Georgia $46,730
Minnesota $46,410
Tennessee $46,250
Ohio $46,240
Hawaii $46,220
Louisiana $45,850
Texas $45,740
Missouri $43,960
Idaho $39,820
Kansas $39,770
Mississippi $39,550
Arkansas $38,180
District of Columbia $123,770
New York $102,990

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 9% less than similar careers in Montana. On average, they make less than sales managers but more than cost estimators.

Career Median Salary
Sales manager salary $117K
Green product marketer salary $132K
Advertising manager salary $132K
Pharmaceutical sales representative salary $84K
Detective salary $92K
Real estate agent salary $79K
Consultant salary $80K
Urban planner salary $81K
Mail superintendent salary $89K
Cost estimator salary $77K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)