How to Become a Real Estate Agent
Help clients buy, sell, and rent properties by assessing market conditions, staging showings, and negotiating transactions. It typically requires a high school diploma (with licensure), with a median salary of $52,830 per year and about average projected job growth.
Median pay
$52,830/yr
Middle half
$40,040 to $82,020
Job growth
About average
Openings / yr
36,600
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Negotiation
- Market Analysis
- Customer Service
- Sales
- Networking
Helpful certifications
- State Real Estate License
- NAR Realtor Certification
- CRS (Certified Residential Specialist)
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
35/100
Work-life balance
45/100
Stress level
50/100
Satisfaction
68/100
Related careers
- Financial Manager$166,570 median
- Actuary$130,000 median
- Financial Risk Specialist$117,330 median
- Personal Financial Advisor$105,070 median
- Financial Analyst$102,740 median
- Management Consultant$101,860 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Real Estate Agent make?
The median pay for a Real Estate Agent is $52,830 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $40,040 and $82,020 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Real Estate Agent?
The usual entry point is a high school diploma (with licensure). Common majors are Business Administration, Real Estate, Finance, and Marketing.
Is Real Estate Agent a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is about average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 36,600 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Real Estate Agent use most?
Common skills for this role are Negotiation, Market Analysis, Customer Service, Sales, and Networking.
Planning to become a Real Estate Agent?
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).