References
NAR Library & Archives has already done the research for you. References (formerly Field Guides) offer links to articles, eBooks, websites, statistics, and more to provide a comprehensive overview of perspectives. EBSCO articles (E) are available only to NAR members and require the member's nar.realtor login.
Income Data From NAR
The median gross income of REALTORS®—income earned from real estate activities—was $43,330 in 2020, a decrease from $49,700 in 2019. • REALTORS® with 16 years or more experience had a median gross income of $75,000—down from $86,500 in 2019—compared to REALTORS® with two years or less experience that had a median gross income of $8,500—a decrease from $8,900 in 2019.
Source: The 2021 National Association of REALTORS® Member Profile Download (Item # E186-12-21) can be ordered by calling 800-874-6500 #1 or online. The report is free to NAR members and costs $149.95 for non-members.
From the NAR Archives
In its first all-member survey conducted in 1949, NAR found that the typical licensed broker earned an annual income of $10,000.
Articles
How Much Does a Real Estate Agent Make? (Glassdoor, Jan. 27, 2022)
The national average salary for a Real Estate Agent is $67,962 in United States. Filter by location to see Real Estate Agent salaries in your area. Salary estimates are based on 2,331 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by Real Estate Agent employees.
Real Estate Agent Salary (U.S. News & World Report, Jan. 24, 2022)
Real Estate Agents made a median salary of $49,040 in 2020. The best-paid 25 percent made $76,720 that year, while the lowest-paid 25 percent made $33,370.
How Much Do Real Estate Agents Make? (The CE Shop, Oct. 12, 2021)
If you've heard that real estate can be a lucrative career path, you've heard right. According to Indeed, the average salary is just over $83,000 for first-year full-time agents — but this rate can vary greatly.
Real Estate Agent & Real Estate Broker Salary in All 50 States (VanEd, Jun. 2, 2021)
For this analysis, we used a Bureau of Labor search tool to find the mean annual salary of real estate agents and brokers in each state.
Study: Real Estate Income Doubles After Your First Year (So Hang In There) (McKissock, May 26, 2021)
Agents in our study reported earning an average of approximately $15,000 when they had been in business for under a year. However, agents with between one and three years of experience saw their earnings increase to $38,141. It doesn’t stop there — longevity in the business continued to be a strong predictor of take-home pay throughout an agent’s career.
Websites & Other Resources
Updated each year by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Real Estate Brokers & Agents section of the Occupational Outlook Handbook includes data on average earnings and wages of real estate licensees.
Salary.com's Salary Wizard features information on median expected annual income for real estate licensees, using survey data from human resources departments around the country.
The CEL National Real Estate Compensation & Benefits Survey has become the national standard for the real estate industry. The survey incorporates over 190 positions and nearly 400 participant companies in the office, industrial, retail, residential, advisory and brokerage/services sectors.
eBooks & Other Resources
eBooks.realtor.org
The following eBooks and digital audiobooks are available to NAR members:
6 Figures in 12 Months (eBook)
Baby Steps Millionaires (eBook)
Multiple Income Streams for Real Estate Agents and Brokers (eBook)
7 Money Rules for Life: How to Take Control of Your Financial Future (eBook)
Bank On Yourself: The Life-Changing Secret to Growing and Protecting Your Financial Future (Audiobook)
Big Money Energy (Audiobook)
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Managing Your Money (Audiobook)
Make Money, Not Excuses: Wake Up, Take Charge, and Overcome Your Financial Fears Forever (eBook)
Millionaire Success Habits (eBook)
The Richest Man in Babylon (eBook)
The Road to Wealth: A Comprehensive Guide to Your Money (eBook)
Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny (Audiobook)
The Half Millionaire Real Estate Agent (eBook)
How to Become a Million Dollar Real Estate Agent in Your First Year (eBook)
How to Make $100,000+ Your First Year as a Real Estate Agent (eBook)
The Millionaire Mind (eBook)
The Millionaire Real Estate Agent (eBook)
Super Agent (eBook)
Have an idea for a real estate topic? Send us your suggestions.
The inclusion of links on this page does not imply endorsement by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR makes no representations about whether the content of any external sites which may be linked in this page complies with state or federal laws or regulations or with applicable NAR policies. These links are provided for your convenience only and you rely on them at your own risk.