What does a typical sales agent earn?
Our modelled median for real estate sales roles is $80,700 a year across Australia. We get it by taking ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025 and moving it forward to 2026 with a wage index. Jobs and Skills Australia uses the same ABS survey. It puts median weekly earnings for the wider Real Estate Sales Agents group, which also takes in property managers, at $1,504, or about $40 an hour. Count it as a guide to employed agents. It leaves out principals who own their agency.
Location shifts the figure a little. Our modelled state medians run from $71,400 in Tasmania and $76,200 in South Australia, through $79,600 in Victoria, $79,900 in Queensland and $81,200 in New South Wales, up to $83,000 in the Northern Territory, $88,000 in the ACT and $88,400 in Western Australia. Your own result depends far more on your listings, your patch and your commission deal than on which state you work in.
What is the award minimum for sales staff?
The Real Estate Industry Award 2020 sets the legal floor for employees. From 1 July 2026, a full-time Level 1 Associate earns at least $1,010.60 a week ($52,551 a year) in their first 12 months and $1,063.90 a week after that. Level 2 Representative, the usual grade for a working sales agent, pays at least $1,119.10 a week ($58,193). Level 3 Supervisory pays $1,231 a week and Level 4 In-Charge pays $1,287.30. A full-time week is 38 ordinary hours.
Juniors get a percentage of the adult rate. Under 19 it is 60%, at 19 it is 70%, at 20 it is 80%, and from 21 it is 100%. Commission paid on top of a wage is allowed. The award requires the formula for working out that commission to be set down in a written agreement, and any later change needs a new written agreement as well.
How does retainer plus commission work?
Most new agents start on a retainer, which is a base wage at or above the award rate, plus a share of the commission they bring in. A common version is the debit-credit retainer. Your commission is set against what the agency has paid you in wages and costs, and you only receive commission once you have earned more than that amount. The upside is a regular wage while you wait for sales to settle. The downside is that a slow quarter leaves a negative balance, and you have to earn your way out of it before more commission reaches you.
The REIQ warns that these arrangements can easily leave agents underpaid. Whatever your commission account shows, you must still get at least the award wage, allowances, super and leave. Ask for your commission statements in writing, because the award requires the employer to account to you in writing as each payment falls due.
When is commission-only allowed, and what is the split?
Commission-only pay is lawful under the award only if every condition is met. You must work in sales or commercial, industrial or retail leasing at Level 2 or above, be licensed or registered, be at least 21, and be employed full-time. You must also have done 12 consecutive months at Level 2 or higher in the past three years and hit the minimum income threshold. That threshold is 125% of your award rate, worked out as an annual amount and excluding super. On the July 2026 Level 2 rate, it comes to about $72,740.
Even then, the agency must pay you at least 31.5% of its gross commission on every deal you handle. Gross commission means the fee the agency receives, less GST and any conjunctional agent fees. For example, on $15,000 of net agency commission, the minimum you can be paid is $4,725. Many agents negotiate a higher split, and that formula must be in writing too. Your income is reviewed each year. If it falls below the threshold, the commission-only arrangement has to end.
Pay
AUD a year, before tax. Refer to the Real Estate Sales salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Written commission agreementAny commission paid on top of a wage must follow a formula set out in a written agreement. You are entitled to a signed copy.
- Level 2 or higherCommission-only pay is limited to sales or commercial, industrial or retail leasing staff classified at Level 2 or above. Level 1 staff and trainees are excluded.
- Licence or registrationCommission-only employees must hold a real estate licence or be registered or permitted to work as a salesperson under their state's real estate law.
- Age and hoursYou must be at least 21 to go commission-only. Part-time, casual and junior employees cannot be paid this way.
- 12 months' track recordYou need 12 consecutive months at Level 2 or higher with a licensed agent in the past three years, or to have run your own real estate business in that time.
- Minimum income thresholdBefore going commission-only, you must show you earned at least 125% of your annual award rate, excluding super, over 12 consecutive months in the past three years. The test is repeated every year.
How to get there
- Year 1Associate or sales assistantAward Level 1 pays at least $52,551 a year in the first 12 months and $55,323 after that. Commission, if any, is on top of the wage.
- Year 1-3Sales representative on retainerOnce licensed or registered and selling, you are usually at Level 2 ($58,193 minimum) on a base wage plus a commission share, often under a debit-credit arrangement.
- Year 2 onwardOption to go commission-onlyAfter 12 consecutive months at Level 2 or higher, and once you hit the income threshold, you can agree in writing to commission-only pay with a minimum split of 31.5%.
- Year 4 onwardSupervisory or in-charge rolesRunning a team or an office moves you to Level 3 ($64,012) or Level 4 ($66,940) minimums. In practice, pay at this level usually includes override or profit-share deals.
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Questions people ask
What is the average salary for a real estate agent in Australia?
Our modelled median for employed real estate sales roles is $80,700 a year in 2026, based on ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025. It is a midpoint for employees, so many agents earn well below or above it depending on their commission.
What is the minimum wage for a real estate agent?
From 1 July 2026, the Real Estate Industry Award sets $1,119.10 a week, or $58,193 a year, for a full-time Level 2 Representative. A first-year Level 1 Associate gets at least $1,010.60 a week.
Is commission-only legal for real estate agents?
Yes, provided every award condition is met. You must be 21 or older, full-time, licensed or registered, at Level 2 or higher with 12 months' experience, and above the minimum income threshold. The agency must pay you at least 31.5% of its gross commission on each deal.
What happens if my commission does not cover my retainer?
Under a debit-credit retainer, the shortfall stays as a negative balance on your commission account, and future commissions pay it off. Your employer must still pay you at least the award wage, allowances, super and leave in every pay period.
Can a commission-only agent be moved back to a wage?
Yes. Commission-only income is reviewed every year. If it falls below the minimum income threshold, the commission-only arrangement must end. The REIQ notes that this does not end your employment, and the agency still has to follow a fair process.
