SOC 41-9022.00

    Real Estate Sales Agents

    Rent, buy, or sell property for clients.

    Median pay
    $52,830
    Growth
    +1.7%
    Slower than average
    Openings a year
    32,600
    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
    $32,970
    Median
    $52,830
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $123,590
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    193,370 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Real estate sales agents help clients buy, sell, and rent properties. The median annual pay for these professionals is $52,830, with opportunities to earn more depending on sales success.

    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 sales agents do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    Rent, buy, or sell property for clients. Perform duties such as study property listings, interview prospective clients, accompany clients to property site, discuss conditions of sale, and draw up real estate contracts. Includes agents who represent buyer.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    What the work is like

    Real estate sales agents spend their days helping clients navigate property transactions. They study property listings, interview prospective buyers or sellers, and accompany clients to various property sites to show homes and buildings. A major part of the job involves discussing the conditions of a sale and drawing up official real estate contracts.

    To succeed in this role, agents rely heavily on an enterprising interest area, meaning they enjoy taking initiative and starting business projects. Key work activities include getting information, resolving conflicts, negotiating with others, and working directly with the public. Agents must use computers to document information and keep their industry knowledge updated. Strong skills in active listening, speaking, persuasion, and social perceptiveness are essential. Additionally, agents need a solid understanding of sales, marketing, customer service, and administrative procedures. Because they work closely with clients during stressful financial decisions, agents must demonstrate dependability, integrity, perseverance, self-confidence, and high stress tolerance.

    How to get there

    To enter this career, a high school diploma is typically the minimum education required. Most agents begin with some on-the-job training or prior experience. For those looking to pursue higher education, college majors in real estate and real estate development provide relevant preparation.

    Some states list a license for this work, which agents must obtain to practice. Professional associations offer several certifications to help agents build their credentials. These include the Certified Apartment Leasing Professional from the National Apartment Association, the Certified International Property Specialist and Graduate Realtor designations from the National Association of Realtors, and the Certified New Home Sales Professional from the National Association of Home Builders. Other options include the Certified Relocation Professional credential.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for real estate sales agents was $52,830. Earnings can vary significantly based on commission and performance; the lowest 10% of earners make less than $32,970, while the highest 10% earn more than $123,590.

    There are 193,370 people employed in this field. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 1.7%, which is slower than average. Despite this slow growth rate, the occupation is expected to have 32,600 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    19 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    8 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    15 / 100
    Social (S)
    42 / 100
    Enterprising (E) · strongest
    91 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    66 / 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

    Getting Information
    87
    Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
    83
    Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
    82
    Working with Computers
    81
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    79
    Documenting/Recording Information
    77
    Communicating with People Outside the Organization
    76
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    74
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    74
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    72
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Speaking
    • Negotiation
    • Coordination
    • Persuasion
    • Service Orientation
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Critical Thinking
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Active Learning

    Knowledge

    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Sales and Marketing
    • English Language
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Administration and Management
    • Administrative
    • Communications and Media
    • Mathematics
    • Law and Government
    • Public Safety and Security

    Abilities

    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Speech Clarity
    • Speech Recognition
    • Written Comprehension
    • Near Vision
    • Written Expression
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Information Ordering
    • Mathematical Reasoning

    Work styles

    • Social Orientation
    • Dependability
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Integrity
    • Perseverance
    • Self-Confidence
    • Attention to Detail
    • Initiative
    • Optimism
    • Stress Tolerance

    Also called

    Agricultural Real Estate Agent · Apartment Leasing Agent · Apartment Leasing Consultant · Apartment Rental Agent · Buyers Agent · Closing Agent · Home Sales Consultant · Industrial Real Estate Agent · Land Agent · Land Sales Agent

    Career pathway

    From your interests to real estate sales agents

    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 Sales Agents$52,830 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 sales agents 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. Showing 12 of 15.

    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

    50 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 sales agents

    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 are some alternative job titles for this career?

    People in this field are also called buyers agents, closing agents, home sales consultants, land agents, or apartment leasing consultants.

    What are the primary skills needed for this job?

    Agents need strong skills in negotiation, active listening, speaking, coordination, and persuasion to guide clients through property transactions.

    Is a college degree required to become a real estate sales agent?

    No, a high school diploma is the typical entry-level education, though some agents choose to study majors like real estate in college.

    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.