Real Estate Brokers Salary
Real Estate Brokers in North Carolina make a median of $52,830 a year, or about $25.4 an hour. The range runs from $18K at the entry level to $123K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.66), which stretches that salary to about $57,015 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,284/month, about 36.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across North Carolina. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $53K get you in North Carolina?
About real estate brokers
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What this looks like in North Carolina
Pay for real estate brokers in North Carolina runs about 28% below the U.S. median of $73K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,284/month, which is 36.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.66 (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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, North Carolina
Entry-level real estate brokers (10th percentile) start around $18K. Mid-career wages sit at $53K. Top earners bring in $123K or more, a $105K spread from bottom to top.
Real Estate Brokers salary by metro in North Carolina
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $124K | +135% | N/A |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $95K | +80% | 150 |
| Raleigh-Cary | $79K | +49% | N/A |
| Wilmington | $58K | +10% | 40 |
Compare to other states
Track real estate brokers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when North Carolina numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a real estate broker afford a 2BR apartment alone in North Carolina?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $53K, rent takes 36.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,284/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 North Carolina?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new real estate brokers typically earn — is $18K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,079/month. At HUD’s $1,284/month FMR, rent would take 119% 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 North Carolina?
Local pay runs 28% below the national median — $53K here vs. $73K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does North Carolina compare to the national average for real estate brokers?
North Carolina pays $53K median vs. the U.S. average of $73K — that’s -28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — below the national median.
How much do real estate brokers make in North Carolina?
The median is $52,830 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $17,990, and experienced real estate brokers can clear $123,160. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $53K enough to live in North Carolina?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,509/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,284/month, which eats 36.6% 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 North Carolina?
North Carolina has a Regional Price Parity of 92.66 (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 $57,015 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.