Real Estate Brokers Salary
Real Estate Brokers in Columbia, MO make a median of $55,230 a year, or about $26.55 an hour. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $79K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.44), which stretches that salary to about $61,751 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,160/month, about 32% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $55K get you in Columbia?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbia’s Regional Price Parity (89.44). 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 Columbia
Pay for real estate brokers in Columbia runs about 25% below the U.S. median of $73K. Rent runs $1,160/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.44 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% 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 Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Springfield | $42K | $48K |
| Kansas City | $71K | $76K |
| St. Louis | $63K | $66K |
| Joplin | $57K | $67K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbia, MO
Entry-level real estate brokers (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $79K or more, a $50K 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 Columbia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a real estate broker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 31.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,160/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new real estate brokers typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,716/month. At HUD’s $1,160/month FMR, rent would take 68% 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 Columbia?
Local pay runs 25% below the national median — $55K here vs. $73K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Columbia compare to the national average for real estate brokers?
Columbia pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $73K — that’s -25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — below the national median.
How much do real estate brokers make in Columbia, MO?
The median is $55,230 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,600, and experienced real estate brokers can clear $79,010. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,715/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,160/month, which eats 31.2% 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 Columbia?
Columbia has a Regional Price Parity of 89.44 (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 $61,751 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.