Real Estate Brokers Salary

The median real estate brokers salary in the United States is $73,220 per year ($35.20/hour). Salaries range from $37,110 at the entry level to $143,300+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 46,100 real estate brokers jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 3.3% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Also known asReal Estate BrokerReal Estate Managing Broker
Median Salary
$73,220
per year
Hourly Rate
$35.20
per hour
Employment
46,100
jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile
$37,110
25th percentile
$46,480
Median
$73,220
75th percentile
$103,360
90th percentile
$143,300

Job Growth (2024-2034)

+3.3%
As fast as average

Annual Openings

9,700
jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

High school diploma or equivalent
+ Less than 5 years experience

Real Estate Brokers Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for real estate brokerss.

Real estate brokers own or lead real estate brokerages β€” supervising agents + closing complex deals + owning listings. Different from Sales Agents: brokers passed additional exam + require more experience + can own firms. Top luxury + commercial brokers earn $250k-2M+/year; average brokers $85-165k. Income is commission-heavy + volatile. Path is agent 3-5 years β†’ broker exam β†’ broker.

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

Advanced real estate law + finance
Contracts + agency + fiduciary duty + fair housing + zoning + escrow + 1031 exchanges + tax implications.
Broker supervision + compliance
State broker requirements + agent supervision + trust accounts + brokerage policies + audit compliance.
Business development + lead gen
Own book + referral network + prospecting systems + marketing spend + brand building.
Negotiation + closing
Multi-offer situations + complex terms + creative financing + deal saving under pressure.
MLS + CRM + tech stack
MLS + Compass/Kw/Douglas Elliman tech + CRM + digital marketing + virtual tours.
Financial + market analysis
CMAs + BPOs + market trends + commercial cap rates + investment analysis.
Team + brokerage leadership
Recruit + train + retain agents. Set commission splits + build culture + supervise transactions.

How to Become a Real Estate Brokers

  1. 1
    Work as licensed agent 2-5 years
    State-varying prerequisites but generally 2-3 years full-time active practice + 20-100 transactions.
  2. 2
    Complete broker pre-licensing courses
    60-360 hours advanced coursework state-varying ($800-2,500). Contracts + finance + brokerage management.
  3. 3
    Pass state broker exam
    Passing rates 60-70% first attempt. National + state portions. $150-350 exam fee.
  4. 4
    Choose path: managing vs independent broker
    Managing broker at established firm ($90-175k base + override) vs starting own brokerage (higher upside + higher risk).
  5. 5
    Specialize + scale
    Luxury + commercial + investment + international. Team building + brokerage ownership + REIT/investment adjacent careers.

Career Progression

Broker Associate / Managing Broker Trainee
0-3 as broker yrs$85-135k (commission + salary mix)
  • β€’Continue personal transactions
  • β€’Learn brokerage operations
  • β€’Supervise 3-5 agents
  • β€’Handle complex deals
Next: Managing Broker at established firm.
Managing Broker (established firm)
3-8 as broker yrs$135-235k + overrides
  • β€’Supervise 15-40 agents
  • β€’Compliance + trust accounts
  • β€’Continue personal book
  • β€’Recruit + train
Next: Broker/Owner + Principal at 8-12 years.
Broker / Owner / Principal
8+ as broker yrs$155-500k+ + equity
  • β€’Own P&L of brokerage
  • β€’Recruit + retain top agents
  • β€’Set commission structure
  • β€’Legal + regulatory ownership
Next: Multi-office broker + regional + franchise ownership.
Multi-office / Regional Broker + Team Principal
12+ yrs$225k-2M+ (top luxury + team leaders)
  • β€’Multiple offices + 100+ agents
  • β€’Team of team leaders
  • β€’Franchise or brokerage brand
  • β€’Investment + acquisitions
Next: Franchise owner + investment fund + retire.

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 15 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Walk me through the most complex deal you closed.behavioral
STAR: parties + issues + creative solutions + how you saved deal + closed outcome + relationship post-close.
Q2. How do you handle agent supervision + compliance?situational
Written policies + regular training + transaction file reviews + trust account audits + quick correction + documentation.
Q3. How do you recruit top agents?behavioral
Value prop (splits + tech + brand + training) + referrals + relationship building + specific pain points from their current firm.
Q4. Describe your business plan.situational
Personal production + team + brokerage growth + marketing spend + technology + community involvement + retention.
Q5. Where do you see career in 5 years?closer
Managing Broker β†’ Broker/Owner + team of 20-40 producing agents + own book + potential multi-office expansion.

Resume Template β€” Broker Associate (0-3 as broker)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Broker Associate (0-3 as broker)
  • β–ΈManaged brokerage of 18 agents + $145M sales volume β€” grew year over year 32%.
  • β–ΈPersonally closed 28 transactions totaling $22M sales volume + $580k GCI in 2024.
  • β–ΈSupervised 22 transaction files including 4 complex commercial + 2 estate sales without compliance issues.
  • β–ΈRecruited 8 new agents from competitor firms + retained 7 (88% retention).

What Gets You Rejected

  • βœ—Weak compliance history or trust account issues.
  • βœ—No personal book of business alongside brokerage role.
  • βœ—Cant handle agent management + hard conversations.
  • βœ—Weak market + finance knowledge.
  • βœ—Fair housing violations or complaints.
  • βœ—Cant balance personal production + brokerage duties.

Salary Negotiation Levers

  • βœ“Broker split at established firm: 60-80% + overrides on team production.
  • βœ“Managing broker base + override: $60-150k base + 10-25% override on office production.
  • βœ“Luxury markets (Aspen + Manhattan + Beverly Hills + Miami Beach) = 2-5x commission per deal.
  • βœ“Commercial pays 3-6% commission on multimillion deals.
  • βœ“Team leaders take 25-50% overrides on team members' commissions.
  • βœ“Brokerage ownership: 100% commission on own deals + 15-30% override on all office deals.
  • βœ“Sign-on: 6-12 months of prior earnings common when recruiting established brokers.

Real Estate Brokers Resume Review β€” $29

Personalized resume review from someone who has hired real estate brokerss. Purchase, email your resume to support@weblabra.com, and receive detailed written feedback within 7 days.

  • βœ“ Occupation-specific critique (not generic)
  • βœ“ Rewrite suggestions for weak bullets
  • βœ“ Missing skills / keywords flagged
  • βœ“ Formatting + ATS-readability feedback
  • βœ“ 7-day turnaround, 100% refund if we miss it

Real Estate Brokers Career Kit β€” $19

  • βœ“ All 15 interview questions with expert answers
  • βœ“ 7 real questions aggregated from Glassdoor, Blind, Reddit, LinkedIn
  • βœ“ Interview format intel for 7 top employers
  • βœ“ 3 copy-paste salary negotiation emails
  • βœ“ Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
  • βœ“ 30–60–90 day plan for your first role
  • βœ“ Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
  • βœ“ Detailed salary negotiation script
  • βœ“ Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
  • βœ“ Downloadable PDF for offline access
  • βœ“ Instant access, no expiration, no subscription
βœ“ 7-day money-back guarantee β€” no questions asked

One-time purchase. 7-day refund guarantee.

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Real Estate Brokers Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) β†’

Salary Map β€” Click a state for details

$40K
$111Kβ–  No data

Top Paying States

New Jersey
$111K
+52%
Connecticut
$106K
+44%
Utah
$93K
+27%
Washington
$83K
+13%
Alabama
$83K
+13%
Michigan
$83K
+13%
Maryland
$82K
+11%
California
$80K
+10%
New Mexico
$80K
+10%
Colorado
$80K
+9%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
StateMedianvs. National
New Jersey$111,390+52.1%
Connecticut$105,800+44.5%
Utah$92,830+26.8%
Washington$82,790+13.1%
Alabama$82,630+12.9%
Michigan$82,510+12.7%
Maryland$81,550+11.4%
California$80,450+9.9%
New Mexico$80,340+9.7%
Colorado$79,970+9.2%
1–10 of 36

Real Estate Brokers Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs. National
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$168,320+129.9%
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$124,210+69.6%
Boise City, ID$104,780+43.1%
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC$103,070+40.8%
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO$99,020+35.2%
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX$98,950+35.1%
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$95,320+30.2%
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL$94,990+29.7%
Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT$92,830+26.8%
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$91,770+25.3%
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Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A real estate brokers earning $73,220/year would need 814 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 874 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
See all sports & celebrity salaries β†’
πŸ“ˆ See how real estate brokers salaries have changed over the past decade.
View Real Estate Brokers salary trend (2011–2024) β†’