Real Estate Sales Agent salary in the U.S.
Real Estate Sales Agents in the U.S. earn a median of $52,830 a year ($25.40 an hour), based on BLS data for 193,370 workers.
Pay ranges from $32,970 for the lowest-paid 10% to $123,590 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $69,510, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for real estate sales agents in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $32,970 | $15.85 |
| 25th percentile | $40,040 | $19.25 |
| Median | $52,830 | $25.40 |
| 75th percentile | $82,020 | $39.43 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $123,590 | $59.42 |
| Average (mean) | $69,510 | $33.42 |
Half of real estate sales agents earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $4,402.50 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $2,201.25 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $2,031.92 |
| Weekly | $1,015.96 |
| Hourly | $25.40 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Real Estate Sales Agent salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $123,770 | 590 |
| New York | $102,990 | 8,660 |
| New Jersey | $99,990 | n/a |
| Alaska | $89,170 | 170 |
| Nevada | $79,990 | 1,490 |
| Washington | $79,130 | 5,150 |
| Montana | $79,100 | 370 |
| New Mexico | $76,170 | 550 |
| North Dakota | $73,920 | n/a |
| South Dakota | $65,170 | 640 |
| Virginia | $63,980 | 5,750 |
| Colorado | $63,670 | 6,120 |
| Oregon | $61,610 | 1,940 |
| Alabama | $60,890 | 1,580 |
| Rhode Island | $60,310 | n/a |
| Illinois | $59,220 | 6,030 |
| West Virginia | $59,050 | 370 |
| Arizona | $58,780 | 5,610 |
| Kentucky | $58,610 | 1,120 |
| Wisconsin | $58,120 | 5,680 |
| Michigan | $57,880 | 2,210 |
| New Hampshire | $57,620 | 240 |
| California | $57,560 | 17,500 |
| Maine | $56,930 | 740 |
| South Carolina | $56,580 | 4,930 |
| Pennsylvania | $56,040 | 5,510 |
| Maryland | $52,630 | 2,940 |
| North Carolina | $51,240 | 7,960 |
| Utah | $50,720 | 4,240 |
| Wyoming | $49,990 | 300 |
| Florida | $49,310 | 26,790 |
| Oklahoma | $47,980 | 3,710 |
| Nebraska | $47,240 | 1,400 |
| Delaware | $47,180 | 900 |
| Indiana | $46,880 | 3,680 |
| Connecticut | $46,770 | n/a |
| Georgia | $46,730 | 9,940 |
| Minnesota | $46,410 | 2,530 |
| Tennessee | $46,250 | 2,360 |
| Ohio | $46,240 | 5,130 |
| Hawaii | $46,220 | 690 |
| Louisiana | $45,850 | 1,940 |
| Texas | $45,740 | 22,250 |
| Missouri | $43,960 | 1,590 |
| Idaho | $39,820 | 1,170 |
| Kansas | $39,770 | 1,450 |
| Mississippi | $39,550 | 670 |
| Arkansas | $38,180 | 1,640 |
Best-paying metro areas for real estate sales agents
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $115,820 | n/a |
| Midland, TX | $109,760 | 340 |
| Reno, NV | $106,190 | 380 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $103,550 | 8,320 |
| Las Cruces, NM | $100,280 | 70 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $97,470 | 50 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $96,170 | n/a |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $93,910 | n/a |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $93,750 | 120 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $91,690 | 530 |
| Farmington, NM | $91,170 | 30 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $89,840 | 40 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $88,370 | n/a |
| Rochester, NY | $88,310 | 270 |
| Carson City, NV | $87,420 | 50 |
Metro areas with the most real estate sales agents
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 9,160 | $47,080 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 8,320 | $103,550 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 7,340 | $47,020 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 6,960 | $46,730 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 6,950 | $44,580 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 5,320 | $49,250 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 5,100 | $61,790 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 4,470 | $62,630 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 4,210 | $48,540 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 3,930 | $60,890 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 3,790 | $79,990 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 3,250 | $78,160 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 3,190 | $63,930 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,780 | $54,710 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 2,580 | $45,740 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Sales and Related Workers, All Other | $48,280 | $23.21 |
| Demonstrators and Product Promoters | $39,320 | $18.91 |
| Telemarketer | $35,450 | $17.04 |
| Sales Engineer | $124,900 | $60.05 |
| Real Estate Broker | $73,220 | $35.20 |
| Model | $48,470 | $23.30 |
| Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers | $41,380 | $19.89 |
| Retail Salesperson | $35,410 | $17.03 |
| Cashier | $32,880 | $15.81 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $69,990 | $33.65 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $72,080 | $34.65 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | $48,520 | $23.33 |
| Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | $78,660 | $37.82 |
| Insurance Sales Agent | $62,280 | $29.94 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 41-9022. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a real estate sales agent make in the U.S.?
The median salary for real estate sales agents in the U.S. is $52,830 a year, or $25.40 an hour. Pay ranges from $32,970 for the lowest-paid 10% to $123,590 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid real estate sales agents make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of real estate sales agents in the U.S. earn at least $123,590 a year. The top 25% earn $82,020 or more.
What is the starting pay for real estate sales agents in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $32,970 a year, and a quarter of real estate sales agents earn $40,040 or less.
How many real estate sales agents work in the U.S.?
About 193,370 real estate sales agents are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.