SOC 41-9021.00

    Real Estate Brokers

    Operate real estate office, or work for commercial real estate firm, overseeing real estate transactions.

    Median pay
    $73,220
    Growth
    +0.8%
    Little or no change
    Openings a year
    7,800
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $37,110
    Median
    $73,220
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $143,300
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    46,100 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Real estate brokers run real estate offices or work for commercial firms to manage property transactions, sales, rentals, and loans. The career offers a median annual pay of $73,220, with top earners making over $143,300.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What real estate brokers do

    Job Zone 4: Considerable preparation

    Operate real estate office, or work for commercial real estate firm, overseeing real estate transactions. Other duties usually include selling real estate or renting properties and arranging loans.

    Most need a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.

    What the work is like

    Real estate brokers spend their days managing property transactions, renting out spaces, selling real estate, and helping clients arrange loans. This is an enterprising career that relies heavily on persuasion, active listening, and strong negotiation skills. Daily activities center around communicating with people outside their organization, building interpersonal relationships, and solving complex problems.

    Brokers must analyze data, process transaction details, and evaluate information to ensure everything complies with legal standards. Success in this field requires deep knowledge of sales, marketing, customer service, and economics, alongside an understanding of law and government regulations. Because they operate in a highly competitive market, these professionals must show initiative, perseverance, self-confidence, and leadership. They also need strong attention to detail and integrity to handle financial contracts and resolve conflicts effectively.

    How to get there

    To enter this field, the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that a high school diploma is the typical minimum education. However, the occupation is classified as requiring considerable preparation, meaning most brokers actually hold a bachelor's degree and have several years of experience in real estate sales. Students often prepare by majoring in real estate or real estate development in college.

    Depending on where they work, brokers may need to obtain a license, as some states list licensing requirements for this profession. Various professional organizations offer voluntary certifications to help brokers build their credentials. Examples include the Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager credential from the Real Estate Business Institute, the Certified International Property Specialist designation from the National Association of Realtors, and the Chartered Realty Investor credential from the Mortgage Bankers Association of America.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for real estate brokers was $73,220. Earnings can vary significantly based on commission and experience; the lowest 10% of earners made less than $37,110, while the highest 10% earned more than $143,300.

    With 46,100 people employed in this occupation, the job market is expected to experience little or no change, with a projected employment growth of 0.8% from 2025 to 2035. Despite this flat growth, about 7,800 job openings are still projected to occur each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    28 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    9 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    32 / 100
    Enterprising (E) · strongest
    91 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    79 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code ECS. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Communicating with People Outside the Organization
    93
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    93
    Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
    93
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    90
    Selling or Influencing Others
    86
    Working with Computers
    84
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    83
    Getting Information
    82
    Analyzing Data or Information
    81
    Processing Information
    80
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Negotiation
    • Active Learning
    • Active Listening
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Speaking
    • Critical Thinking
    • Persuasion
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Service Orientation
    • Social Perceptiveness

    Knowledge

    • Sales and Marketing
    • English Language
    • Economics and Accounting
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Administration and Management
    • Mathematics
    • Administrative
    • Law and Government
    • Psychology
    • Communications and Media

    Abilities

    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Written Comprehension
    • Speech Clarity
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Speech Recognition
    • Written Expression
    • Near Vision
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Inductive Reasoning

    Work styles

    • Social Orientation
    • Perseverance
    • Dependability
    • Self-Confidence
    • Attention to Detail
    • Integrity
    • Leadership Orientation
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Initiative
    • Self-Control

    Also called

    Broker · Broker Associate · Buyer Broker · Buyers Agent · Closing Agent · Commercial Leasing Broker · Commercial Real Estate Advisor · Commercial Real Estate Broker · Designated Broker · Lease Administration Analyst

    Career pathway

    From your interests to real estate brokers

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Real Estate Brokers$73,220 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1
      Villanova University

      Villanova, PA · Real Estate · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $86,945
      4 yrs after
      $131,911
      Median debt
      $27,000
    2. 2
      New York University NYU

      New York, NY · Real Estate · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $88,970
      4 yrs after
      $130,716
      Median debt
      $13,598
    3. 3University of Wisconsin-Madison Main Campus logo
      University of Wisconsin-Madison Main Campus

      Madison, WI · Real Estate · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $75,375
      4 yrs after
      $120,483
      Median debt
      $15,000
    4. 4University of Southern California USC logo
      University of Southern California USC

      Los Angeles, CA · Real Estate Development · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $80,927
      4 yrs after
      $107,292
      Median debt
      $12,000
    5. 5Texas Christian University TCU logo
      Texas Christian University TCU

      Fort Worth, TX · Real Estate · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $60,524
      4 yrs after
      $103,547
      Median debt
      $21,225
    6. 6
      Marquette University

      Milwaukee, WI · Real Estate · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $73,121
      4 yrs after
      $99,583
      Median debt
      $23,374
    7. 7Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University logo
      Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

      Blacksburg, VA · Real Estate · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $68,467
      4 yrs after
      $95,576
      Median debt
      $19,573
    8. 8
      Ohio State University-Main Campus

      Columbus, OH · Real Estate · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $67,271
      4 yrs after
      $91,213
      Median debt
      $19,500

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What real estate brokers may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Real Estate
    • Real Estate Development

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    51 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about real estate brokers

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What college majors are most relevant for becoming a real estate broker?

    Students interested in this career path typically major in real estate or real estate development. These programs provide foundational knowledge in property transactions, finance, and market analysis.

    Are there professional certifications available for brokers?

    Yes, brokers can earn various industry credentials to demonstrate expertise. Examples include the Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager, Certified International Property Specialist, and Chartered Realty Investor designations.

    What is the job outlook for this career over the next decade?

    Employment for real estate brokers is projected to see little or no change, with a 0.8% growth rate from 2025 to 2035. However, there are still about 7,800 job openings projected each year to fill vacancies.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.