SOC 41-9021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Real Estate Brokers — Iowa
Iowa · 2 metro areas compared
At $50,140, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Real Estate Brokers, 31.5% beneath the national figure of $73,220.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +3.3%
- Openings per year
- 9,700
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
54.5% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Iowa.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $50,140, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Real Estate Brokers, 31.5% beneath the national figure of $73,220. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $30,930 and $81,320. The lowest tenth earn under $19,880, while the highest tenth earn more than $152,170.
Among the 36 states with published data for this occupation, Iowa ranks 34th by median wage. Ames leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $41,440. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 439th of 711 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $19,880 | −72.8% |
| 25th | $30,930 | −57.8% |
| Median (50th) | $50,140 | −31.5% |
| 75th | $81,320 | +11.1% |
| 90th | $152,170 | +107.8% |
| Mean | $65,160 | −11.0% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Iowa
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Iowa run 12.2% below the national average, so the median of $50,140 goes as far as $57,107 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 22.0% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$50,140as reported by BLSLocal price level
87.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$57,107US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $50,140 a year, 31.5% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $19,880 to $152,170 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- It ranks 34th of 36 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Ames, at $41,440.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Real Estate Brokers in Iowa?
The median annual wage is $50,140, or $24.11 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $73,220, so pay in Iowa is 31.5% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Iowa earns more than $152,170 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $19,880 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Ames, at $41,440 per year.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
Explore related data