Real Estate Sales Agents salary in San Francisco, CA
Median pay for real estate sales agents in San Francisco, CA: $65,190/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $49,160 – $128,970 · about 4,750 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($50,020) by +$15,170 (+30%).
What it's really worth in San Francisco
With San Francisco's cost of living at 118 (US=100), that $65,190 has the buying power of about $55,457 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $129,315 · median home $1,149,215 · median rent $3,258/mo.
How San Francisco ranks for this job
On raw pay, San Francisco, CA is 24th of the 167 metros we hold real estate sales agents wages for. Once San Francisco's cost of living is applied, it ranks 64th.
The headline number flatters San Francisco. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, real estate sales agents here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in San Francisco
A median home in San Francisco, CA costs $1,149,215 — about 17.6× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $3,258/mo works out at 60% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where real estate sales agents earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to San Francisco.
| Metro | Median pay | vs San Francisco | Rent vs San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $103,960 | +59% | 1.1× |
| Buffalo, NY | $83,670 | +28% | 0.4× |
| Rochester, NY | $83,200 | +28% | 0.5× |
| Seattle, WA | $80,950 | +24% | 0.7× |
Same job elsewhere in CA
| Metro | Median pay | vs San Francisco | Rent vs San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxnard, CA | $79,720 | +22% | 0.9× |
| San Diego, CA | $72,550 | +11% | 0.9× |
| San Jose, CA | $65,370 | +0% | 1.1× |
| Stockton, CA | $62,970 | −3% | 0.7× |
Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires real estate sales agents around San Francisco
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Visa · Finance
Other jobs in San Francisco
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 167 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.