Real Estate Jobs: Pay and Licensing

REAL ESTATE HIRING — Real estate jobs are not all commission sales. Behind every home sale and apartment lease there is a property manager, a leasing agent, a maintenance tech and an appraiser, and most of those jobs do not ask for a college degree.

Five real estate roles, national pay for the four BLS tracks, and which ones need a state license before you can start.

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💼 The Jobs in Real Estate

The agent holding Sunday open houses is one job. Much of the rest of the field pays an hourly wage or a salary.

Real estate sales agents and brokers help people buy, sell and rent property. Agents work under a licensed broker. Brokers can run their own office and supervise agents. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 530,600 broker and agent jobs in 2025.

Property managers run apartment communities, office buildings, shopping centers and homeowners' associations. They set budgets, collect rent, fill vacancies, hire vendors and handle the resident who calls about a leaking ceiling. BLS counted 460,400 property, real estate and community association manager jobs in 2025.

Leasing consultants are often the entry point at an apartment community. They give tours, process applications and renew leases. It is a common first step toward assistant property manager.

Maintenance technicians keep buildings running: plumbing fixes, appliance repairs, HVAC filters and getting a vacant unit ready for the next tenant. BLS counts them as general maintenance and repair workers, about 1.6 million jobs in 2025, and the real estate and rental and leasing industry employs 20% of them, more than any other industry.

Appraisers estimate what a property is worth, usually for a lender before a mortgage closes. Assessors do similar work for local governments to set property taxes. BLS counted 68,400 appraiser and assessor jobs in 2025.

💵 What Real Estate Jobs Pay

These are national medians from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for May 2025, the latest annual wage data. A median is the midpoint: half the people in the job earned less, half earned more. Pay in your city can sit well above or below it.

Job	Median annual pay, May 2025
Real estate brokers	$73,220
Property, real estate and community association managers	$69,990
Appraisers and assessors of real estate	$67,960
Real estate sales agents	$52,830
General maintenance and repair workers	$49,590 ($23.84 an hour)

Pay in sales swings widely. BLS reports that the lowest-paid 10% of sales agents earned less than $32,970 in May 2025, while the top 10% earned more than $123,590. Brokers and agents earn most of their income from commissions on sales, according to BLS, so a slow first year is normal. More than half of agents are self-employed, which usually means covering your own costs.

Property managers have a wide range too: under $41,010 for the lowest 10% and over $139,680 for the top 10%, per BLS.

🎓 Training, Licenses and Credentials

Licensing in real estate is set state by state. What follows is the general pattern BLS describes. Your state's real estate commission or licensing board has the exact rules.

Sales agent license. All states require agents and brokers to be licensed. The usual minimum is being at least 18, a high school diploma or equivalent, a state-approved prelicensing course and a passing score on the state exam. Some states add a background check. Course hours vary widely from state to state. Licenses typically renew every 2 to 4 years, and most states require continuing education to renew.

Broker license. Brokers need more training and time as a licensed agent first. Requirements vary, but most states ask for at least 2 years of agent experience, according to BLS.

Property management. BLS lists a high school diploma as the typical entry requirement for on-site management, with short-term on-the-job training. Licensing is where it gets state-specific: in most states, property managers need a property management license or a real estate broker's license, and some states require community association managers to hold a real estate license. Employers may prefer college graduates for commercial roles. Leasing consultant and assistant manager jobs are the usual way in.

Maintenance. No license to start. Most techs learn on the job alongside experienced workers, which BLS describes as moderate-term training. Complex electrical or plumbing work can require a separate license depending on your state and city.

Appraisal. This is the most structured path. Appraisers must be licensed or certified by their state, and those state rules can be stricter than the national minimums set by the Appraiser Qualifications Board of The Appraisal Foundation. Levels run from trainee, offered in some states, to licensed residential, certified residential and certified general. The certified levels carry college-level education requirements. Experience traditionally comes from working under a supervising appraiser, and the foundation's virtual PAREA program can now cover some or all of the experience requirement depending on the level. BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education.

📊 The Outlook

BLS projects modest, steady growth across this field from 2025 to 2035. These are ten-year projections from a model, not a forecast for next year:

Property, real estate and community association managers: 4%, about 17,100 more jobs
General maintenance and repair workers: 4%, about 68,600 more jobs
Appraisers and assessors of real estate: 3%
Real estate brokers and sales agents: 2%, about 8,300 more jobs

Slow growth still means openings, because people retire and change careers. Commission income for agents also depends on how many homes sell in a given year.

🔥 Who's Hiring

Real estate brokerages hire agents, usually as independent contractors, plus office staff and transaction coordinators. Apartment management companies hire leasing consultants, assistant managers, community managers and maintenance techs. Commercial real estate firms hire property managers and building engineers. Community association management companies run HOAs and condo boards. Mortgage lenders and appraisal firms hire appraisers, and county assessor offices hire assessors.

⚠️ Who This Field Is Not For

Commission-only sales is hard if you need income in the next 60 days. Agent licensing costs money up front, and the first closing can take months. Property management means being on call for emergencies, angry residents and late rent. Maintenance work is physical, with ladders, crawlspaces and outdoor jobs in every season. And because licensing is state by state, a license earned in one state generally does not carry over to another without extra steps.

🔎 Search Real Estate Jobs Now

New to the field? Leasing consultant and maintenance technician jobs are common entry points that don't start with a sales license.

🗺️ Where to Look in Your City

Real estate work exists wherever people rent and buy, so these are large metros spread across every region of the country.

Not on the list? Find your city.

Real Estate Jobs FAQ

Do you need a college degree to work in real estate?

Not for most roles. BLS lists a high school diploma as the typical entry-level education for sales agents, brokers, property managers and maintenance workers. Appraisal is the exception: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical, and the certified appraiser levels carry college-level education requirements.

How long does it take to get a real estate license?

It depends on your state. The steps are the same nearly everywhere: a state-approved prelicensing course, a state exam and, in some states, a background check. Course hours vary widely by state, so check your state's real estate commission for the exact requirement.

Do real estate agents get paid a salary?

Usually not. BLS reports that brokers and agents earn most of their income from commissions on sales, and more than half of agents are self-employed. If you need a steady paycheck, leasing, property management and maintenance jobs typically pay an hourly wage or a salary.

What is the easiest way to get into property management?

Start as a leasing consultant or in maintenance at an apartment community, then move to assistant property manager. BLS lists a high school diploma as the typical requirement for on-site management, but most states require a property management or broker's license for managers, so check your state's rules before you plan the next step.

Can I use my real estate license in another state?

Generally not without extra steps. Licenses are issued by each state. Some states have agreements that shorten the process for licensees from certain other states, so contact the licensing board in the state where you want to work.

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Real Estate Jobs: What They Pay and How to Get Licensed