Here are the states where resi agents are earning top dollar

A ranking shows agents who work in states in the Northeast, West and South earn more

(Credit: iStock)
(Credit: iStock)

Did you know being a residential real estate agent in Alaska could pay better than Florida, Illinois or California?

A new ranking from Forbes shows agents working in New York make the most money, while agents in Ohio earn the least. The report draws its research from occupational data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from 2017.

Agents in New York made the most money by far, however. In 2017, agents in the state took home a mean annual wage of about $102,300, roughly 41 percent more than the runner-up, Texas. Agents there made closer to $72,480 annually.

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Rounding out the top five were Hawaii, Alaska and Rhode Island. California agents placed sixth on the list with a mean annual wage of $68,860 in 2017. That’s still higher than the national average, which was $41,289. Florida agents took home a mean annual wage of $57,520, while Illinois-based agents collected a slightly higher mean wage of $59,010 yearly.

On the flip side, agents who worked in Ohio earned the least at $41,650, according to the report. Arkansas, Montana, Indiana and Kansas also placed in this category.

Seven states on the list also experienced income increases above 10 percent for agents. In Arkansas, the average income grew 21.8 percent from 2016 to 2017. Other states, such as Utah and Pennsylvania, showed smaller gains around 17.5 percent and 14.5 percent, respectively. [Forbes] – Natalie Hoberman