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How much do self-employed real estate agents make?

Real estate agents and brokers. Census data for 2024. Figures are revenue before costs, not income.

Real estate agent handing house keys to a client over a signed contract

Businesses

819,954

Revenue per firm

$67,020

Under $25,000

46%

Sole proprietors

89.6%

Census code 5312, "Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers", covers agents and brokers who file as businesses.

In 2024, 819,954 US businesses with no paid employees were classified under this code. Between them they reported $55.0 billion in revenue, an average of $67,020 per firm, 15% above the $58,194 average for all businesses with no employees.

What stands out

Real estate agents have one of the lowest shares of small businesses here: 23.2% reported under $10,000, against 37.3% of all nonemployers. 18.4% reached $100,000.

89.6% are sole proprietors. Agent businesses set up as partnerships or corporations averaged $140,524, against $58,448 for sole proprietors.

Arizona holds 1.5 times its national share of these businesses, Hawaii 1.4 and New Hampshire 1.3. Among states with at least 500 firms, Mississippi holds 0.63. Among states with at least 500 firms, the highest state average is about twice the lowest; 15 of the other 20 trades have a wider gap.

What a typical firm brings in

The average hides a wide spread. 23.2% of firms reported under $10,000 (all industries: 37.3%), 46% under $25,000 (all: 60.4%) and 64.8% under $50,000. 18.4% reached $100,000 or more (all: 13.3%). The middle firm falls in the "$25,000 to $49,999" bracket.

Share of 819,954 US firms in each revenue bracket, 2024. Shares use the national firm total and are rounded to one decimal; a band shown as 0% can hold a small number of firms, and bands without a published count are left out. Source: Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics.
  • Under $5,00011%
  • $5,000 to $9,99912.3%
  • $10,000 to $24,99922.8%
  • $25,000 to $49,99918.8%
  • $50,000 to $99,99916.8%
  • $100,000 to $249,99913.4%
  • $250,000 to $499,9993.6%
  • $500,000 to $999,9991.2%
  • $1 million to $2.5 million0.3%

How much is left after costs

The IRS Table 1 row nearest this trade, "Offices of real estate agents, brokers, property managers, and appraisers", does not match the scope of this Census category, so no matching profit figure is shown here.

How it varies by state

Florida has the most firms, at 103,086. Among the 51 states (including DC) with at least 500 firms, revenue per firm is highest in District of Columbia ($102,276) and lowest in Louisiana ($50,586). The Census assigns each business to a state by its mailing address, which may not be where the work is done. These data do not explain state differences or show take-home pay.

Alabama10,347$63,552-5%
Alaska1,180$70,864+6%
Arizona24,226$62,896-6%
Arkansas5,784$61,354-8%
California93,834$74,122+11%
Colorado17,531$72,900+9%
Connecticut10,195$70,146+5%
Delaware2,400$67,408+1%
District of Columbia1,233$102,276+53%
Florida103,086$58,293-13%
Georgia28,389$59,168-12%
Hawaii4,525$89,374+33%
Idaho5,865$64,204-4%
Illinois25,741$57,888-14%
Indiana12,105$60,997-9%
Iowa4,529$67,008-0%
Kansas5,675$66,825-0%
Kentucky7,586$66,399-1%
Louisiana7,767$50,586-25%
Maine3,104$68,868+3%
Maryland13,372$63,032-6%
Massachusetts18,407$81,815+22%
Michigan20,487$65,324-3%
Minnesota11,171$65,857-2%
Mississippi4,284$58,919-12%
Missouri13,957$60,752-9%
Montana2,712$74,576+11%
Nebraska2,937$66,446-1%
Nevada10,346$68,931+3%
New Hampshire4,121$82,298+23%
New Jersey26,990$69,700+4%
New Mexico3,982$68,839+3%
New York41,154$72,007+7%
North Carolina27,750$63,295-6%
North Dakota1,151$79,834+19%
Ohio20,820$60,446-10%
Oklahoma7,635$58,873-12%
Oregon9,265$70,585+5%
Pennsylvania22,932$63,521-5%
Rhode Island2,664$67,284+0%
South Carolina14,959$64,711-3%
South Dakota1,375$77,235+15%
Tennessee20,414$82,186+23%
Texas80,967$68,675+2%
Utah8,542$67,544+1%
Vermont1,191$83,419+24%
Virginia20,370$68,832+3%
Washington17,394$75,198+12%
West Virginia2,255$58,212-13%
Wisconsin9,983$71,608+7%
Wyoming1,265$97,285+45%

* Fewer than 500 firms, so the average is less stable. Click a column heading to sort. Receipts are modified by the Census Bureau to protect privacy.

Frequently asked questions

How much do self-employed real estate agents make?

Census data for 2024 show 819,954 US businesses with no paid employees in this trade, reporting an average of $67,020 in revenue each. 46% took in under $25,000, against 60.4% of all businesses with no employees. Revenue is what the business takes in before costs, so it is not the owner's income.

Which state has the highest revenue per firm for self-employed real estate agents?

Among the 51 states (including DC) with at least 500 firms, District of Columbia had the highest average revenue per firm, at $102,276, and Louisiana the lowest, at $50,586. States are assigned by business mailing address, and these figures do not show take-home pay.

Sources and method

Other trades