Real Estate Brokers Salary
Real Estate Brokers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN make a median of $67,320 a year, or about $32.36 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $137K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.59), that's roughly $64,987 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,781/month, about 40.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $67K get you in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin’s Regional Price Parity (103.59). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About real estate brokers
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What this looks like in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Real estate brokers pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin tracks closely to the national median, $67K locally vs. $73K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,781/month, which is 40.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.59) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for real estate brokers in metros near Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Ames | $41K | $47K |
| Columbia | $55K | $62K |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $77K | $81K |
| Madison | $67K | $69K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Entry-level real estate brokers (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $67K. Top earners bring in $137K or more, a $102K spread from bottom to top.
Real Estate Brokers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Real Estate Brokers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $111K | +52% | 1,290 |
| Connecticut | $106K | +44% | N/A |
| Utah | $93K | +27% | N/A |
| Washington | $83K | +13% | N/A |
| Alabama | $83K | +13% | 460 |
| Michigan | $83K | +13% | 1,150 |
| Maryland | $82K | +11% | 430 |
| California | $80K | +10% | 8,430 |
| New Mexico | $80K | +10% | N/A |
| Colorado | $80K | +9% | 3,280 |
| Virginia | $77K | +6% | 1,500 |
| Vermont | $77K | +5% | 80 |
| Indiana | $75K | +2% | 740 |
| Hawaii | $74K | +1% | 160 |
| Arizona | $74K | +1% | 3,790 |
| Arkansas | $74K | +1% | 120 |
| North Dakota | $73K | +0% | 80 |
| Kansas | $70K | -4% | 290 |
| Delaware | $69K | -6% | 100 |
| Florida | $66K | -10% | 3,640 |
| Alaska | $66K | -10% | 100 |
| Ohio | $65K | -12% | N/A |
| Texas | $63K | -13% | 2,040 |
| Montana | $63K | -14% | 400 |
| Oregon | $63K | -14% | 1,670 |
| Illinois | $63K | -15% | 990 |
| Missouri | $62K | -15% | 1,980 |
| Tennessee | $60K | -18% | 540 |
| West Virginia | $59K | -19% | 140 |
| Idaho | $58K | -21% | 380 |
| Maine | $55K | -25% | N/A |
| North Carolina | $53K | -28% | 1,560 |
| New Hampshire | $51K | -30% | 120 |
| Iowa | $50K | -32% | N/A |
| Mississippi | $42K | -43% | 60 |
| Minnesota | $40K | -46% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 36 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track real estate brokers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Chicago-Naperville-Elgin numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a real estate broker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $67K, rent takes 40.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,781/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for real estate brokers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new real estate brokers typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,140/month. At HUD’s $1,781/month FMR, rent would take 83% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is real estate broker a high-paying job in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $67K locally vs. $73K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for real estate brokers?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $67K median vs. the U.S. average of $73K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — below the national median.
How much do real estate brokers make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $67,320 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,660, and experienced real estate brokers can clear $137,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $67K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,368/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 40.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a real estate brokers salary go in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin has a Regional Price Parity of 103.59 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median real estate brokers salary is worth about $64,987 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do real estate brokers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.