Real Estate Brokers Salary
Real Estate Brokers in Cleveland, OH make a median of $78,330 a year, or about $37.66 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $129K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.92), which stretches that salary to about $83,401 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,279/month, or 24.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $78K get you in Cleveland?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cleveland’s Regional Price Parity (93.92). 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 Cleveland
Real estate brokers pay in Cleveland tracks closely to the national median, $78K locally vs. $73K nationwide, a 7% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,279/month, 24.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.92 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for real estate brokers in metros near Cleveland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus | $62K | $65K |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek | $86K | $93K |
| Ann Arbor | $70K | $69K |
| Pittsburgh | $64K | $68K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cleveland, OH
Entry-level real estate brokers (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $129K or more, a $85K 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 Cleveland numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a real estate broker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cleveland?
Yes — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 24.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,279/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for real estate brokers in Cleveland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new real estate brokers typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,638/month. At HUD’s $1,279/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 Cleveland?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $78K locally vs. $73K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Cleveland compare to the national average for real estate brokers?
Cleveland pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $73K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.92), the purchasing-power equivalent is $83K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do real estate brokers make in Cleveland, OH?
The median is $78,330 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,960, and experienced real estate brokers can clear $128,730. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in Cleveland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,169/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,279/month, which eats 24.7% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a real estate brokers salary go in Cleveland?
Cleveland has a Regional Price Parity of 93.92 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median real estate brokers salary is worth about $83,401 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.