Occupation salary profile

Real Estate Sales Agents

SOC 41-9022 BLS OEWS May 2025

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.

National median · BLS
$52,830
▼ -6.2% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$69,510
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
193,370
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Real Estate Sales Agents

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$32,970
25th$40,040
Median (50th)$52,830
75th$82,020
90th — top pay$123,590

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Real Estate Sales Agents

BLS projects employment of real estate sales agents to grow 1.7% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 32,600 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
427,000 → 434,500
+7,400 jobs
Projected change
+1.7%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
32,600
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
54.3% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Real Estate Sales Agents

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening4.0
  • Speaking4.0
  • Negotiation3.9
  • Coordination3.8
  • Persuasion3.8
  • Service Orientation3.8
  • Social Perceptiveness3.8
  • Critical Thinking3.6
  • Reading Comprehension3.4
  • Active Learning3.3
Top knowledge areas
  • Customer and Personal Service4.4
  • Sales and Marketing4.3
  • English Language3.6
  • Computers and Electronics3.4
  • Administration and Management3.3
  • Administrative3.3
  • Communications and Media3.3
  • Mathematics3.3
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordYardi softwareAdobe AcrobatCanvaFacebookGoogle DocsIntuit QuickBooksMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft ProjectMicrosoft TeamsZoomAgent Business BuilderArgosy Legal Systems Power CloserCMA StuffersCommercial and industrial development project cost analysis software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: 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. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What real estate sales agents do

  • Present purchase offers to sellers for consideration.
  • Act as an intermediary in negotiations between buyers and sellers, generally representing one or the other.
  • Confer with escrow companies, lenders, home inspectors, and pest control operators to ensure that terms and conditions of purchase agreements are met before closing dates.
  • Advise clients on market conditions, prices, mortgages, legal requirements, and related matters.
  • Prepare documents such as representation contracts, purchase agreements, closing statements, deeds, and leases.
  • Compare a property with similar properties that have recently sold to determine its competitive market price.
  • Coordinate appointments to show homes to prospective buyers.
  • Generate lists of properties that are compatible with buyers' needs and financial resources.
Also called
Real Estate AgentReal Estate SalespersonRealtorRealtor Associate
More job titles for this occupation (34)
Agricultural Real Estate AgentApartment Leasing AgentApartment Leasing ConsultantApartment Rental AgentBuyers AgentClosing AgentHome Sales ConsultantIndustrial Real Estate AgentLand AgentLand Sales AgentLeasing AgentLeasing AssociateLeasing ConsultantLeasing ProfessionalLeasing SpecialistLicensed Real Estate AgentLicensed Real Estate Sales AgentReal Estate AssociateReal Estate Buyers AgentReal Estate CloserReal Estate ConsultantReal Estate Listing AgentReal Estate Listing ConsultantReal Estate ProfessionalReal Estate Rental AgentReal Estate Representative (Real Estate Rep)Real Estate Sales AssociateReal Estate SpecialistRental Sales AgentResidence Leasing AgentResidential Property ConsultantROW Agent (Right of Way Agent)ROW Buyer (Right of Way Buyer)Showing Agent

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.