Countryside at sunny autumn day in New Hampshire. From 2021 to 2022, the average real estate agent … [+]
With mortgage rates higher than they had been in the recent past, plus high home prices and tightening available inventory, America’s real estate market has put prospective homebuyers in a difficult spot.
Despite all this, housing markets across the country have remained very active. And, as a result, real estate agents and brokers have remained busy. With home prices, on average, considerably higher than in pre-pandemic days, one wonders how much real estate agents and brokers are making these days. How much money real estate agents make per year depends on several factors, including not just the price of the home, but also the number of real estate transactions and commission fees.
Using occupational data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), we’ve analyzed and compiled a round-up of the average real estate agent salary in each U.S. state for 2023.
Read on for a full breakdown of where real estate agents make the most money, and where they’re making the least.
The national average annual wage of a real estate sales agent is $65,850, according to the BLS. That makes the average real estate agent salary slightly higher than the average annual wage for All Occupations, $61,900. Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 states in which real estate agents earn the most:
Real estate agent average salary: $94,810
Real estate agent average salary: $93,950
Real estate agent average salary: $82,090
Real estate agent average salary: $79,610
Real estate agent average salary: $79,060
Real estate agent average salary: $77,430
Real estate agent average salary: $77,320
Real estate agent average salary: $74,820
Real estate agent average salary: $73,990
Real estate agent average salary: $72,900
The states that pay real estate agents the most on average are geographically located in the Northeast, West, and South, with four states, four states, and two states in each Census-designated region, respectively. What’s really interesting is that Mississippi ranks among the top 10 states where the average real estate agent salary per year is the highest, despite the state having the lowest median household income of all 50 U.S. states.
Now we move to the other end of the spectrum. Here’s a breakdown of the 10 states in which real estate agents earn the least:
Real estate agent average salary: $44,510
Real estate agent average salary: $45,570
Real estate agent average salary: $46,690
Real estate agent average salary: $47,670
Real estate agent average salary: $49,830
Real estate agent average salary: $50,920
Real estate agent average salary: $52,970
Real estate agent average salary: $53,090
Real estate agent average salary: $53,690
Real estate agent average salary: $55,050
This list is dominated by states of the South and Midwest, with two states representing the West — Idaho and New Mexico. The average real estate agent salary in Illinois is over $20,000 less than the national average: $44,510 versus $65,850.
In just one year, seven states experienced income increases that were greater than 20% for real estate sales agents:
Below are all 50 states and their respective average real estate salaries per year. The states are listed in alphabetical order, but their ranking from 1 to 50 (1 being the best, 50 the worst) in terms of pay is included:
