Real Estate Brokers Salary
Real Estate Brokers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC make a median of $124,210 a year, or about $59.72 an hour. The range runs from $66K at the entry level to $201K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $127,303 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,711/month, or 22.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $124K get you in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Durham-Chapel Hill’s Regional Price Parity (97.57). 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 Durham-Chapel Hill
Durham-Chapel Hill sits well above the national pay line for real estate brokers, local pay runs about 70% higher than the U.S. median of $73K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,711/month, 22.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Durham-Chapel Hill offers a genuinely strong financial position for real estate brokerss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for real estate brokers in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary | $79K | $80K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $95K | $98K |
| Wilmington | $58K | $60K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $55K | $59K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Entry-level real estate brokers (10th percentile) start around $66K. Mid-career wages sit at $124K. Top earners bring in $201K or more, a $134K 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 Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a real estate broker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Yes — at the median salary of $124K, rent takes 22.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for real estate brokers in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new real estate brokers typically earn — is $66K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,988/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 43% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
Local pay is 70% above the national median — $124K here vs. $73K nationally.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for real estate brokers?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $124K median vs. the U.S. average of $73K — that’s +70%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $127K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do real estate brokers make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $124,210 a year, that works out to about $60 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $66,470, and experienced real estate brokers can clear $200,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $124K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,505/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 22.8% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
Durham-Chapel Hill has a Regional Price Parity of 97.57 (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 $127,303 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.