Real Estate Sales Agents Salary
Real Estate Sales Agents in Rochester, NY make a median of $88,310 a year, or about $42.46 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $198K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.03), that's roughly $91,013 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,573/month, or 28.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $88K get you in Rochester?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Rochester’s Regional Price Parity (97.03). 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 sales agents
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What this looks like in Rochester
Rochester sits well above the national pay line for real estate sales agents, local pay runs about 67% higher than the U.S. median of $53K. Rent runs $1,573/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.03) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for real estate sales agents in metros near Rochester, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $94K | $86K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $104K | $92K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $74K | $74K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $94K | $98K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Rochester, NY
Entry-level real estate sales agents (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $88K. Top earners bring in $198K or more, a $153K spread from bottom to top.
Real Estate Sales Agents pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Real Estate Sales Agents salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $124K | +134% | 590 |
| New York | $103K | +95% | 8,660 |
| New Jersey | $100K | +89% | N/A |
| Alaska | $89K | +69% | 170 |
| Nevada | $80K | +51% | 1,490 |
| Washington | $79K | +50% | 5,150 |
| Montana | $79K | +50% | 370 |
| New Mexico | $76K | +44% | 550 |
| North Dakota | $74K | +40% | N/A |
| South Dakota | $65K | +23% | 640 |
| Virginia | $64K | +21% | 5,750 |
| Colorado | $64K | +21% | 6,120 |
| Oregon | $62K | +17% | 1,940 |
| Alabama | $61K | +15% | 1,580 |
| Rhode Island | $60K | +14% | N/A |
| Illinois | $59K | +12% | 6,030 |
| West Virginia | $59K | +12% | 370 |
| Arizona | $59K | +11% | 5,610 |
| Kentucky | $59K | +11% | 1,120 |
| Wisconsin | $58K | +10% | 5,680 |
| Michigan | $58K | +10% | 2,210 |
| New Hampshire | $58K | +9% | 240 |
| California | $58K | +9% | 17,500 |
| Maine | $57K | +8% | 740 |
| South Carolina | $57K | +7% | 4,930 |
| Pennsylvania | $56K | +6% | 5,510 |
| Maryland | $53K | -0% | 2,940 |
| North Carolina | $51K | -3% | 7,960 |
| Utah | $51K | -4% | 4,240 |
| Wyoming | $50K | -5% | 300 |
| Florida | $49K | -7% | 26,790 |
| Oklahoma | $48K | -9% | 3,710 |
| Nebraska | $47K | -11% | 1,400 |
| Delaware | $47K | -11% | 900 |
| Indiana | $47K | -11% | 3,680 |
| Connecticut | $47K | -11% | N/A |
| Georgia | $47K | -12% | 9,940 |
| Minnesota | $46K | -12% | 2,530 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -12% | 2,360 |
| Ohio | $46K | -12% | 5,130 |
| Hawaii | $46K | -13% | 690 |
| Louisiana | $46K | -13% | 1,940 |
| Texas | $46K | -13% | 22,250 |
| Missouri | $44K | -17% | 1,590 |
| Idaho | $40K | -25% | 1,170 |
| Kansas | $40K | -25% | 1,450 |
| Mississippi | $40K | -25% | 670 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -28% | 1,640 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track real estate sales agents salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Rochester numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a real estate sales agent afford a 2BR apartment alone in Rochester?
Yes — at the median salary of $88K, rent takes 28.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,573/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for real estate sales agents in Rochester?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new real estate sales agents typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,746/month. At HUD’s $1,573/month FMR, rent would take 57% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is real estate sales agent a high-paying job in Rochester?
Local pay is 67% above the national median — $88K here vs. $53K nationally.
How does Rochester compare to the national average for real estate sales agents?
Rochester pays $88K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s +67%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.03), the purchasing-power equivalent is $91K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do real estate sales agents make in Rochester, NY?
The median is $88,310 a year, that works out to about $42 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,760, and experienced real estate sales agents can clear $198,270. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $88K enough to live in Rochester?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,522/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,573/month, which eats 28.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a real estate sales agents salary go in Rochester?
Rochester has a Regional Price Parity of 97.03 (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 sales agents salary is worth about $91,013 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do real estate sales agents 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.