Real Estate Brokers Salary
Real Estate Brokers in Knoxville, TN make a median of $58,280 a year, or about $28.02 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.57), which stretches that salary to about $62,958 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,471/month, about 36.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $58K get you in Knoxville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Knoxville’s Regional Price Parity (92.57). 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 Knoxville
Pay for real estate brokers in Knoxville runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $73K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,471/month, which is 36.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.57 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for real estate brokerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for real estate brokers in metros near Knoxville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $62K | $65K |
| Memphis | $53K | $57K |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $45K | $52K |
| Columbia | $55K | $62K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Knoxville, TN
Entry-level real estate brokers (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $58K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $43K 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 Knoxville numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a real estate broker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Knoxville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $58K, rent takes 36.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,471/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 Knoxville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new real estate brokers typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,865/month. At HUD’s $1,471/month FMR, rent would take 79% 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 Knoxville?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $58K here vs. $73K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Knoxville compare to the national average for real estate brokers?
Knoxville pays $58K median vs. the U.S. average of $73K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — below the national median.
How much do real estate brokers make in Knoxville, TN?
The median is $58,280 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,090, and experienced real estate brokers can clear $73,970. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $58K enough to live in Knoxville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,072/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,471/month, which eats 36.1% 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 Knoxville?
Knoxville has a Regional Price Parity of 92.57 (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 $62,958 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.