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Real Estate Sales Agents Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 41-9022 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary
$52,832
$25.40/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Real Estate Sales Agents salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$33K
P25$40K
P50$53K
P75$82K
P90$124K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
⚡
Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- retail openings are at 4.8% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in retail trade are rising about 3.4% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 3.0-3.5% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $52,832 to $82,014 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Real Estate Sales Agents pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role fell 6.2% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.4% wage growth of Retail Trade (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · MODERATE

Retail Trade is running a 4.8% job-openings rate with quits at 3.0% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has tightened for 2 straight months (4.2% up to 4.8%).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 3.7 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.

What changed recently
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings climbed to 4.8% and quits returned to 3.0%. Frontline churn pressure is building again.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.4% per year, up from 3.1%, one of the few sectors accelerating.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Real Estate Sales Agents is $52,832 per year ($25.40/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $40,040 and $82,014 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $123,594 per year. There are approximately 193,370 real estate sales agents employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

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.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+3.1%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
37K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
421K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
3% from new growth97% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Real Estate
NAICS 531000
158K$49,850
Residential Building Construction
NAICS 236100
12K$52,900
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
3K$97,470
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
2K$81,970
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
2K$77,870
Wage range across top 5 industries: $49,850 to $97,470 (96% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salary
P10$15.85$32,968
P25$19.25$40,040
P50MEDIAN$25.40$52,832
P75$39.43$82,014
P90$59.42$123,594

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · retail sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.8%
Quits Rate
3.0%

Retail openings rose to 774K (+49K) in June, rate up to 4.8%. Frontline turnover picked back up with the quit rate at 3.0% -- expect continued churn-driven wage pressure in hourly roles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average real estate sales agents salary?

The national median salary for Real Estate Sales Agents is $52,832 per year ($25.40/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $40,040 and $82,014 annually.

How much do top-earning real estate sales agents make?

The 90th percentile salary for Real Estate Sales Agents is $123,594 per year ($59.42/hr). The 75th percentile is $82,014 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for real estate sales agents?

Entry-level Real Estate Sales Agents (10th percentile) earn approximately $32,968 per year ($15.85/hr). The 25th percentile is $40,040 per year.

Related Salary Data

Compare with other occupations
Retail Salespersons41-2031$35K/yrCashiers41-2011$33K/yrSales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel41-3091$70K/yrSales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products41-4012$72K/yrFirst-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers41-1011$49K/yrBrowse all 770+ occupations →

Real Estate Sales Agents Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment
Florida26,790 workersTexas22,250 workersCalifornia17,500 workersGeorgia9,940 workersNew York8,660 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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