Real estate has many wide-ranging careers associated with it, both directly and indirectly. Many real estate jobs require licensing—such as a real estate license—continuing education, or other certifications or degrees. Below we outline some of the different types of real estate jobs available today, as well as the typical real estate salary or income associated with each. (Read here if you are already a real estate broker and are seeking ways to boost your salary while your career launches.)
Types of real estate careers available
Real estate careers can be associated with the financial side of the industry by way of a mortgage brokerage, loan processing, underwriting, credit analysis, foreclosure management, loan funding, and investment. There are also many essential and high-paying jobs available on the title insurance, appraisal, escrow, property management, and legal sides of the business, in addition to residential and commercial brokerage sales.
10 real estate jobs and their salaries
Let’s take a look at the salary or income opportunity for 10 different real estate jobs available in North Carolina. In this context, the term “salary” might also embrace commissions and bonuses. The usual range, unless otherwise noted, includes salaries from the 25th to 75th percentiles:
- Appraiser (residential): The median annual salary in North Carolina is $52,930 with a salary range usually between $43,610 and $61,166.
- Appraiser (commercial): The median annual salary for an appraiser who works in the commercial sector in North Carolina is $99,151 with a range usually between $85,282 and $113,738.
- Commercial leasing manager: The median annual salary in North Carolina is $111,074 with a range usually between $83,753 and $154,671.
- Commercial real estate broker: The median annual salary in North Carolina is reported by salary.com to be $164,452. Annual incomes in this field can vary dramatically, going as high as several million dollars per year, depending on the annual closings. Total pay usually falls between $139,529 and $189,667.
- Commercial real estate loan officer: The median annual salary in North Carolina for a lower-level loan officer is $78,210 with a salary range between $67,610 and $90,200. A senior loan officer’s median salary is $135,400, The sale of just one multi-million-dollar commercial property per year can generate over $63,000 in commission income alone.
- Community development manager: The median annual salary range in North Carolina is $80,924 with a range typically between $54,978 and $100,831.
- Compliance specialist: The median annual salary for an entry-level compliance specialist In North Carolina is $58,171 with the standard range between $51,920 and $66,333. More senior compliance specialists can make salaries in the $90,000 range.
- Property manager: The median annual salary is $96,577; the standard range is $83,840 to $111,113.
- Real estate broker: The median annual income for a real estate broker in North Carolina is $41,094, though brokers with more experience and who work more hours tend to earn much more.
- Real estate broker-in-charge: The median annual income for a real estate broker-in-charge in North Carolina is $57,872, with a range typically between $51,193 and $73,052.
- Real estate broker-in-charge: The median income is reported as $76,347 each year, with that amount going up to $100,000 or more.
* Sources include salary.com, payscale.com, monster.com, and the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) and are accurate as of April 27, 2021.
For more information on launching your real estate career, check out Superior School of Real Estate’s career hub.
