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Real Estate Agent

$52,830
median / year
$32,970 – $123,590
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Help clients buy, sell, and rent property, showing homes and guiding them through the paperwork.

You may also see this posted as: Realtor, Realtor Associate, Sales Agent, Real Estate Salesperson.

Where you work

On the road and at properties; showings, open houses, and offices.

The hours

Irregular; evenings and weekends are the busiest.

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Prepare documents such as representation contracts, purchase agreements, closing statements, deeds, and leases.
  • Present purchase offers to sellers for consideration.
  • Act as an intermediary in negotiations between buyers and sellers, generally representing one or the other.
  • Generate lists of properties that are compatible with buyers' needs and financial resources.
  • Confer with escrow companies, lenders, home inspectors, and pest control operators to ensure that terms and conditions of purchase agreements are met before closing dates.

Good fit if you like…

Enterprising

leading, persuading, selling, or turning an idea into action

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

Social

helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people

O*NET job zone 3 of 5

Medium preparation—often vocational training, an associate degree, or substantial experience—is usually needed.

Work styles that matter most

Social OrientationDependabilityAchievement OrientationIntegrity

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordYardi softwareAdobe Acrobat

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$52,830
per year
Hourly median
$25.40
per hour
What most earn
$32,970–$123,590
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~36,600
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+3.1%
About average
Working in the U.S.
193,370
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 53.7% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

High school / no degree

Training path: State license course (weeks).

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training.

License or certification

Requires a state license, earned by coursework and exam.

You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

Sales abilityCommunicationSelf-motivationLocal knowledge

The honest take

Commission-only at the start — build a cash buffer before you leap.

Standard Occupational Classification 41-9022. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.