Real Estate Brokers Salary
Real Estate Brokers in Illinois make a median of $62,540 a year, or about $30.07 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $137K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $66,638 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 34.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $63K get you in Illinois?
About real estate brokers
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What this looks like in Illinois
Pay for real estate brokers in Illinois runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $73K. Rent runs $1,407/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level real estate brokers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $137K or more, a $102K spread from bottom to top.
Real Estate Brokers salary by metro in Illinois
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $67K | +8% | 800 |
Compare to other states
Track real estate brokers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a real estate broker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 34.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new real estate brokers typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,127/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 66% 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 Illinois?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $63K here vs. $73K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for real estate brokers?
Illinois pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $73K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $67K — below the national median.
How much do real estate brokers make in Illinois?
The median is $62,540 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,450, and experienced real estate brokers can clear $137,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,100/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 34.3% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (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 $66,638 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.