Real Estate Agent Salary in California (2026)

Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.

Median Annual Salary$57,560
Median Hourly Wage$27.67
National Median$55,733
Jobs in California17,500

Real Estate Agent Salary in California vs. National Average

CaliforniaNationalDifference
Median annual salary$57,560$55,733+3%
Median hourly wage$27.67$26.79+3%

Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $51,996.

Real Estate Agent Salary in Top California Cities

CityMedianEntry LevelExperiencedCost of Living
San Francisco$87,761 $54,250$186,000 244
Oakland$79,268 $49,000$168,000 196
Los Angeles$72,474 $44,800$153,600 173
Long Beach$67,944 $42,000$144,000 153
San Diego$66,812 $41,300$141,600 161
Sacramento$61,150 $37,800$129,600 130
Fresno$53,789 $33,250$114,000 105

FAQ

How much does a Real Estate Agent make in California?

The median annual salary for a Real Estate Agent in California is $57,560, or about $27.67 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.

How does this compare to the national average?

The national median for Real Estate Agents is $55,733. California is +3% above the national median.

What is the entry-level salary for a Real Estate Agent in California?

Entry-level real estate agents in California typically earn from $54,250 depending on the city and employer.

Is California a good state for real estate agents?

With 17,500 real estate agent jobs on record and a median salary of $57,560, California offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.

Where does Real Estate Agent pay rank in California?

By median annual wage, real estate agents rank 522 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 34% of them.

What do similar occupations pay in California?

Among occupations in the same job family, Sales Engineers at $139,160, Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products at $124,220, First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers at $81,140 — all figures are median annual wages for California.

Do these figures include taxes?

No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).

Real Estate Agent in California: where it sits among all occupations

By median annual wage, real estate agents rank 522 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 34% of them.

Occupation in the same job familyMedian in CaliforniaJobs
Sales Engineers$139,160$6,310
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products$124,220$27,590
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers$81,140$19,600
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel$80,850$156,110
Real Estate Brokers$80,450$8,430
Advertising Sales Agents$80,360$9,620

California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).

Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 793 occupations in California.