Real Estate Sales Agents Salary
Real Estate Sales Agents in Traverse City, MI make a median of $60,470 a year, or about $29.07 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $169K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.37), which stretches that salary to about $64,764 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,224/month, about 30.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $60K get you in Traverse City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Traverse City’s Regional Price Parity (93.37). 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 Traverse City
Traverse City sits well above the national pay line for real estate sales agents, local pay runs about 14% higher than the U.S. median of $53K. Rent runs $1,224/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.37 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for real estate sales agents in metros near Traverse City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $57K | $57K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $56K | $58K |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $50K | $53K |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | $60K | $63K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Traverse City, MI
Entry-level real estate sales agents (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $169K or more, a $138K 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 Traverse City numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a real estate sales agent afford a 2BR apartment alone in Traverse City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 30.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,224/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 sales agents in Traverse City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new real estate sales agents typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,893/month. At HUD’s $1,224/month FMR, rent would take 65% 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 Traverse City?
Local pay is 14% above the national median — $60K here vs. $53K nationally.
How does Traverse City compare to the national average for real estate sales agents?
Traverse City pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s +14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.37), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do real estate sales agents make in Traverse City, MI?
The median is $60,470 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,550, and experienced real estate sales agents can clear $169,090. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Traverse City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,005/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,224/month, which eats 30.6% 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 sales agents salary go in Traverse City?
Traverse City has a Regional Price Parity of 93.37 (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 $64,764 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.