1Pay
$52,830
Below the middle on pay
2025 national median. Below the middle of ChooseField careers for pay.
Sales · Career brief
Real Estate Agent
Is it a good career to pursue?
The 30-second read
Real Estate Agent at a glance
Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.
2Demand
1.7%
Slow projected growth
Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Below the middle of ChooseField careers for growth.
3Openings
32,600
Lots of annual openings
Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Top quarter for openings among careers on ChooseField.
4Route in
High school
A four-year degree is not the typical entry route
High school diploma or equivalent. Prior related work is not typically required.
5The work
Persuasive / leading
Influence, decisions, and results matter
Prepare documents such as representation contracts, purchase agreements, closing statements, deeds, and leases.
6The catch
Know this first
What could make this a poor fit
Deadline pressure is a recurring condition rather than an occasional emergency.
ChooseField take
The standout national signal is opening volume; it ranks in the top quarter of ChooseField careers. It makes the most sense if persuasive or leadership-oriented work appeals to you and you are comfortable with a high-school entry path. Main tradeoff: Deadline pressure is a recurring condition rather than an occasional emergency.
National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.
Want the evidence behind the snapshot?
Market and path
Pay, outlook, and the route in
National median pay (2025)
$52,830
A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.
2025–2035 outlook
1.7%employment growth32,600openings per year
Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.
Typical entry route
High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.
2025 employment
427,000
Estimated workers in this occupation across the United States.
Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Real estate sales agents (41-9022).
Actual responsibilities
What you would be trusted to own
Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.
- Prepare documents such as representation contracts, purchase agreements, closing statements, deeds, and leases.
- Generate lists of properties that are compatible with buyers' needs and financial resources.
- 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.
- Promote sales of properties through advertisements, open houses, and participation in multiple listing services.
Decision-changing realities
What could make this a poor fit
- Deadline pressure is a recurring condition rather than an occasional emergency.
Work profile
What the work emphasizes
O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others4.7
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.4
- Working with Computers4.4
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.4
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization4.3
Interest profile
Career interests
O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.
Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.
- Enterprising6.5
- Conventional4.9
- Social3.5
- Realistic2.1
- Artistic1.9
- Investigative1.5
Preparation
What the training must make you competent at
Subject matter
Sales and Marketing
Law and Government
Computers and Electronics
Mathematics
Software and tools named in job postings
Yardi software
Before choosing the major or training
Run a cheaper test first
- Work through a realistic case with incomplete information: make a recommendation, show the numbers behind it, and defend the tradeoffs.
- Ask an early-career worker which beginner task consumes the most time, what makes new hires quit, and what school or training failed to simulate.
Field-specific evidence
What changes the picture
Experience changes income dramatically
$8,100 vs $78,900
Median gross income for agents with two years or less experience versus those with 16+ years in NAR member data.
National Association of Realtors · 2025 member trends ↗The fuller career guide
How the evidence fits together
The tradeoff that matters most
Real estate has a low formal education barrier and a very high self-employed share, but income varies dramatically with experience. NAR's new-agent versus veteran income data are more decision-useful than one national median because early-career survival is the central risk.
Common questions
Questions people ask about this career
Is real estate a good career?
Consider this field if its core work interests you: rent, buy, or sell property for clients. Try an introductory project, class, or permitted observation before committing to training. Compare the actual cost and required experience with entry-level work available where you plan to live.
How much do new real estate agents make?
A national median is not an estimate of a new agent's income. Ask a brokerage for recent new-agent earnings distributions, transaction counts, fees, commission splits, and time to a first closing. Subtract expenses and allow for months without a transaction when deciding what cash reserve you need.
Is real estate oversaturated?
The evidence does not establish a single national saturation verdict for Real Estate Agent. Hiring varies by location, specialty, and experience. Compare entry-level postings with their required credentials and experience, and ask recent entrants about hiring outcomes. Long-term projections cannot tell you how many qualified applicants compete for a particular job.
Real estate agent vs financial advisor
Consider Real Estate Agent if you want to rent, buy, or sell property for clients. Consider Financial Advisor / Planner if you would rather advise clients on financial plans using knowledge of tax and investment strategies, securities, insurance, pension plans, and real estate. Compare a sample task and the qualification requirements for each before choosing between them.
Adjacent options
Compare before committing
The useful question is not whether one field wins overall, but what changes when you choose a nearby path. Explore the full career guides for Financial Advisor / Planner, Accountant / Auditor, Architect, Insurance Sales Agents.
Financial Advisor / Planner
- Median pay
- $105,070
- Growth
- 1.4%
Bachelor's degree
Compare side by side →Accountant / Auditor
- Median pay
- $83,680
- Growth
- 5%
Bachelor's degree
Compare side by side →Architect
- Median pay
- $99,280
- Growth
- 4.3%
Bachelor's degree
Compare side by side →Insurance Sales Agents
- Median pay
- $62,280
- Growth
- 3.3%
High school diploma or equivalent
Compare side by side →Sources
- BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections and worker characteristics: pay, employment, openings, education, experience, and training for occupation 41-9022.
- O*NET 41-9022.00 occupation summary: tasks, knowledge, work context, and technologies.
- National Association of Realtors: 2025 member trends.