# Real Estate Brokers

> 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/real-estate-brokers
- SOC code: 41-9021.00
- Career family: Sales
- Median annual pay: $73,220 (10th percentile $37,110, 90th percentile $143,300)
- Projected growth: Little or no change, +0.8%
- Openings a year: 7,800
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code ECS)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 28 |
| Investigative (I) | 9 |
| Artistic (A) | 0 |
| Social (S) | 32 |
| Enterprising (E) | 91 |
| Conventional (C) | 79 |

## What you'd do

- Communicating with People Outside the Organization (importance 93/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 93/100)
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others (importance 93/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 90/100)
- Selling or Influencing Others (importance 86/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 84/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 83/100)
- Getting Information (importance 82/100)
- Analyzing Data or Information (importance 81/100)
- Processing Information (importance 80/100)

## 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

## 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

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Real Estate](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5215) (CIP 5215, 247 colleges)
- Real Estate Development (CIP 0410, 21 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Villanova University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/villanova-university-3127) | Real Estate | $86,945 | $131,911 | $27,000 |
| [New York University NYU](https://www.collegesref.com/college/new-york-university-nyu-1866) | Real Estate | $88,970 | $130,716 | $13,598 |
| [University of Wisconsin-Madison Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-wisconsin-madison-main-campus-3084) | Real Estate | $75,375 | $120,483 | $15,000 |
| [University of Southern California USC](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-southern-california-usc-3050) | Real Estate Development | $80,927 | $107,292 | $12,000 |
| [Texas Christian University TCU](https://www.collegesref.com/college/texas-christian-university-tcu-2701) | Real Estate | $60,524 | $103,547 | $21,225 |
| [Marquette University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/marquette-university-1598) | Real Estate | $73,121 | $99,583 | $23,374 |
| [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university-3134) | Real Estate | $68,467 | $95,576 | $19,573 |
| [Ohio State University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/ohio-state-university-main-campus-2000) | Real Estate | $67,271 | $91,213 | $19,500 |

## Related careers

- [Real Estate Sales Agents](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/real-estate-sales-agents): $52,830 median pay
- [Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/property-real-estate-and-community-association-managers): $69,990 median pay
- [Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/appraisers-and-assessors-of-real-estate): $67,960 median pay
- [Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/securities-commodities-and-financial-services-sales-agents): $78,660 median pay
- [Financial and Investment Analysts](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/financial-and-investment-analysts): $102,740 median pay
- [Appraisers of Personal and Business Property](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/appraisers-of-personal-and-business-property): $67,960 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

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.