National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Real Estate Agents earn a national median of $61,480/year vs Paralegals at $59,200/year. Real Estate Agents earn 4% more nationally. The gap is $2,280 per year — or $190 per month.
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Real Estate Agent
$61,480
national median/year
$5,123/mo • $30/hr
VS
Paralegal
$59,200
national median/year
$4,933/mo • $28/hr
Annual salary gap
$2,280
Real Estate Agents earn 4% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $25,844.
Best states for Paralegals
vs Real Estate Agents
Illinois+$-280
Mississippi+$-280
Alabama+$-2,280
Arkansas+$-2,280
Connecticut+$-2,280
Best states for Real Estate Agents
vs Paralegals
Hawaii+$14,280
Nevada+$8,280
New York+$8,280
Utah+$8,280
Alaska+$6,280
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Real Estate Agents earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Real Estate Agents is $61,480 versus $59,200 for Paralegals — a difference of $2,280 per year or $190 per month.
The national median salary gap between Real Estate Agents and Paralegals is $2,280 per year. Real Estate Agents earn 4% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $25,844.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Real Estate Agents the highest median salary at $82,480 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Paralegals the highest median salary at $76,200 per year.
Salary is one factor — Real Estate Agents earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Real Estate Sales Agents and Paralegals and Legal Assistants both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Real Estate Agents earn approximately $30 per hour nationally and Paralegals earn approximately $28 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
