National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Social Workers earn a national median of $54,150/year vs Real Estate Agents at $61,480/year. Real Estate Agents earn 14% more nationally. The gap is $7,330 per year — or $611 per month.
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Social Worker
$54,150
national median/year
$4,513/mo • $26/hr
VS
Real Estate Agent
$61,480
national median/year
$5,123/mo • $30/hr
Annual salary gap
$7,330
Real Estate Agents earn 14% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $83,088.
Best states for Real Estate Agents
vs Social Workers
Hawaii+$20,160
New York+$20,160
New Jersey+$16,160
Virginia+$16,160
California+$14,160
Best states for Social Workers
vs Real Estate Agents
Alaska+$-160
Mississippi+$-160
North Dakota+$-160
West Virginia+$-160
Wyoming+$-160
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Real Estate Agents earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Social Workers is $54,150 versus $61,480 for Real Estate Agents — a difference of $7,330 per year or $611 per month.
The national median salary gap between Social Workers and Real Estate Agents is $7,330 per year. Real Estate Agents earn 14% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $83,088.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Social Workers the highest median salary at $68,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Real Estate Agents the highest median salary at $82,480 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. Child, Family, and School Social Workers and Real Estate Sales Agents 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, Social Workers earn approximately $26 per hour nationally and Real Estate Agents earn approximately $30 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.
