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Real Estate Sales Agents Salary by State
There were an estimated 190,600 real estate sales agents working in the United States in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey. The typical (median) real estate agent earned $56,320 a year, or $27.08 an hour, while the mean annual wage was $70,970. Pay spans a wide range even inside the same occupation: the lowest-paid 10% of real estate sales agents earned $31,940 or less, the bottom quarter earned $38,940 or less, the top quarter earned at least $85,440, and the top 10% earned at least $125,140. Where a real estate agent works matters almost as much as the job itself, as the state table below shows.
Where real estate sales agents earn the most — and least
The highest median pay for real estate sales agents is in New York, at $97,440 a year — 73.0% higher than the national median of $56,320. Next are Alaska at $85,800 and Massachusetts at $85,170. At the other end, Iowa posts the lowest published median, $36,420, which is 35.3% lower than the national figure. That is a top-to-bottom spread of about 2.7 times between the highest- and lowest-paying states for the same occupation — a gap driven by local labor markets, licensing, employer mix, and cost of living rather than by differences in the job title itself.
Where the real estate agent jobs are
Employment is concentrated in a handful of large states. Florida alone employs 24,440 real estate sales agents, and the three largest states — Florida, California, and Texas — together account for 36% of all U.S. jobs in this occupation. Pay in the largest market, Florida, runs at a median of $50,140, 11.0% lower than the national median, so the biggest job market is not the highest-paying option. Smaller states can still be attractive: several low-population states post medians close to the national figure with far less competition for each opening.
Real Estate Agent salary by state — full table
Median and mean annual wages for real estate sales agents in every state where BLS publishes an estimate for May 2024, ranked by median pay. The 90th-percentile column shows what the top-earning tenth of real estate sales agents in each state make. Follow a state link for that state's full wage tables, or open a detailed guide where one is available.
| State | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 10,040 | $46.85 | $97,440 | $104,320 | $168,590 |
| Alaska | 160 | $41.25 | $85,800 | $87,000 | $120,580 |
| Massachusetts | — | $40.95 | $85,170 | $93,450 | $205,350 |
| Vermont | 90 | $39.73 | $82,630 | $100,490 | $154,250 |
| New Mexico | 810 | $38.36 | $79,790 | $83,760 | $155,370 |
| Washington | 5,470 | $37.01 | $76,980 | $81,390 | $128,470 |
| New Jersey | 950 | $32.06 | $66,680 | $79,370 | $133,730 |
| California | 22,370 | $30.01 | $62,420 | $76,220 | $116,140 |
| North Dakota | 430 | $29.73 | $61,830 | $72,710 | $120,030 |
| Virginia | 4,950 | $29.71 | $61,790 | $68,100 | $106,480 |
| Colorado | — | $29.66 | $61,690 | $71,880 | $139,990 |
| Maine | 770 | $28.84 | $59,990 | $70,410 | $109,630 |
| West Virginia | 310 | $27.67 | $57,550 | $69,610 | $128,750 |
| Montana | 660 | $27.24 | $56,670 | $82,330 | $205,140 |
| Georgia | 5,750 | $27.01 | $56,190 | $68,030 | $120,970 |
| New Hampshire | 290 | $26.74 | $55,620 | $67,780 | $131,750 |
| Michigan | 2,070 | $26.73 | $55,600 | $63,660 | $95,290 |
| Rhode Island | 850 | $26.66 | $55,460 | $62,570 | $126,250 |
| Utah | 5,110 | $26.63 | $55,380 | $58,350 | $102,460 |
| South Dakota | 330 | $26.16 | $54,410 | $63,160 | $94,310 |
| Pennsylvania | 5,250 | $25.77 | $53,590 | $63,210 | $116,520 |
| Arizona | 8,240 | $25.66 | $53,370 | $68,570 | $104,830 |
| Illinois | 4,220 | $24.62 | $51,210 | $57,560 | $85,440 |
| Indiana | 2,860 | $24.51 | $50,990 | $70,900 | $128,590 |
| Mississippi | 710 | $24.26 | $50,460 | $65,060 | $113,730 |
| Texas | 21,270 | $24.11 | $50,150 | $73,360 | $136,250 |
| Florida | 24,440 | $24.11 | $50,140 | $73,330 | $149,990 |
| Nevada | 2,480 | $24.03 | $49,990 | $65,970 | $110,760 |
| South Carolina | 3,900 | $24.03 | $49,990 | $72,750 | $133,570 |
| Maryland | 2,530 | $23.93 | $49,770 | $60,630 | $98,590 |
| Wisconsin | 4,250 | $23.79 | $49,480 | $68,460 | $109,090 |
| Alabama | 1,880 | $23.43 | $48,740 | $55,450 | $99,540 |
| Nebraska | 1,670 | $23.34 | $48,550 | $52,370 | $89,180 |
| Delaware | 740 | $23.29 | $48,450 | $62,190 | $97,530 |
| Oregon | 1,790 | $23.09 | $48,030 | $62,770 | $102,680 |
| North Carolina | 10,140 | $23.00 | $47,840 | $61,480 | $113,730 |
| Minnesota | 2,480 | $22.91 | $47,650 | $70,080 | $138,310 |
| Hawaii | 680 | $22.61 | $47,020 | $62,950 | $104,470 |
| Connecticut | 480 | $21.96 | $45,670 | $59,800 | $110,440 |
| Kansas | 1,320 | $21.29 | $44,290 | $76,520 | $239,200+ |
| Ohio | 4,230 | $21.09 | $43,860 | $54,010 | $80,090 |
| District of Columbia | 450 | $21.02 | $43,720 | $70,420 | $130,240 |
| Wyoming | 280 | $20.69 | $43,040 | $55,580 | $94,310 |
| Louisiana | 1,780 | $19.15 | $39,840 | $49,960 | $119,960 |
| Kentucky | 1,320 | $18.88 | $39,270 | $52,420 | $99,010 |
| Missouri | 1,760 | $18.71 | $38,910 | $48,200 | $88,320 |
| Arkansas | 1,630 | $18.49 | $38,450 | $51,440 | $97,260 |
| Idaho | 1,010 | $17.83 | $37,090 | $45,880 | $86,940 |
| Iowa | 670 | $17.51 | $36,420 | $46,070 | $77,990 |
Real Estate Agent wages in U.S. territories
| Area | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Rico | — | $27.17 | $56,520 | $82,380 | $190,970 |
How to read these numbers
The median is the middle wage: half of real estate sales agents earn more and half earn less. The mean is pulled up by the highest earners, which is why the mean of $70,970 sits above the median of $56,320 for this occupation. OEWS wages are gross pay before taxes and benefits, and BLS converts hourly rates to annual figures on a 2,080-hour, year-round full-time basis; part-time and seasonal workers' actual annual earnings can be lower. Figures marked with a plus sign are at or above the BLS reporting cap of $239,200 a year ($115.00 an hour).
Real Estate Agent salary FAQ
What is the average real estate agent salary?
BLS put the mean annual wage for real estate sales agents at $70,970 in May 2024, with a median of $56,320 ($27.08 an hour) across 190,600 U.S. jobs.
Which state pays real estate sales agents the most?
New York has the highest median pay for real estate sales agents, at $97,440 a year in May 2024 — 73.0% higher than the national median of $56,320.
Which state pays real estate sales agents the least?
Among states where BLS publishes an estimate, Iowa has the lowest median for real estate sales agents, at $36,420 a year, 35.3% lower than the national median.
How many real estate sales agents are there in the United States?
BLS estimated 190,600 real estate sales agents jobs in May 2024. The largest state market is Florida, with 24,440 jobs.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.