Women working in real estate as brokers, property managers, and clerks make more money than their male colleagues in these US cities — and they're not the places you'd expect

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Women working in real estate as brokers, property managers, and clerks make more money than their male colleagues in these US cities — and they're not the places you'd expect
  • Women made up about half of the US real-estate workforce but generally earned less than men in 2021.
  • An analysis found that in some cities, women made up most of the workforce and earned over $50,000.

The best US cities for women working in real estate might not be where you'd think.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which uses data from the census, says jobs in the real-estate industry include residential and commercial brokers, property managers, landscapers, groundskeepers, and people in administrative roles such as office clerks and operations managers.

An analysis of US census data by MyEListing, a commercial-real-estate-technology company and marketplace, found that in 2021, nearly half of the real-estate industry's 3 million workers nationwide were women, but they earned only about 89% of the salaries of their male counterparts.

But the analysis also found several places where women outperformed men in number of employees and in pay. In several metropolitan areas, women made up a bigger share of the real-estate workforce and made more money than their male counterparts.

They're not big cities like New York and Los Angeles or popular spots like Miami and Austin, Texas, but 10 smaller hubs with vibrant economies such as Tucson, Arizona, and Poughkeepsie, New York.

Some aren't too far from urban centers — Poughkeepsie is just under 100 miles north of New York City, while Stockton, California, is about 80 miles east of San Francisco. Others are popular spots in the Midwest, such as Des Moines, the capital of Iowa.

The analysis suggests that in most of these metro areas in 2021, women made up a larger share of the real-estate workforce than men and made more than men did on average.

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10. Tucson, Arizona

10. Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona.Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Population of metro area: 543,200

Percentage of women in the real-estate workforce in 2021: 55%

Median earnings for women in real estate in 2021: $58,247

Women's earnings as a percentage of men's earnings in real estate in 2021: 91%

9. St. Louis, Missouri-Illinois metro area

9. St. Louis, Missouri-Illinois metro area
St. Louis, Missouri.Owaki-Kulla/Getty Images

Population of metro area: 2.8 million

Percentage of women in the real-estate workforce in 2021: 54%

Median earnings for women in real estate in 2021: $58,424

Women's earnings as a percent of men's earnings in real estate in 2021: 99%

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8. Richmond, Virginia

8. Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia.Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Population of metro area: 1.3 million

Percentage of women in the real-estate workforce in 2021: 56%

Median earnings for women in real estate in 2021: $65,531

Women's earnings as a percent of men's earnings in real estate in 2021: 109%

7. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida

7. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida
Orlando, Florida.Shutterstock/Sean Pavone

Population of metro area: 2.8 million

Percentage of women in the real-estate workforce in 2021: 55%

Median earnings for women in real estate in 2021: $52,003

Women's earnings as a percent of men's earnings in real estate in 2021: 124%

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6. Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa

6. Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa
The Des Moines skyline at sunset.Monte Goodyk/Getty Images

Population of metro area: 719,100

Percentage of women in the real-estate workforce in 2021: 48%

Median earnings for women in real estate in 2021: $66,905

Women's earnings as a percent of men's earnings in real estate in 2021: 130%

5. Winston-Salem, North Carolina

5. Winston-Salem, North Carolina
A view from a mountain in autumn near Winston-Salem, North Carolina.Lightvision/Getty Images

Population of metro area: 681,400

Percentage of women in the real-estate workforce in 2021: 58%

Median earnings for women in real estate in 2021: $57,034

Women's earnings as a percent of men's earnings in real estate in 2021: 120%

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4. Omaha, Nebraska, and Council Bluffs, Iowa, metro area

4. Omaha, Nebraska, and Council Bluffs, Iowa, metro area
Omaha, NebraskaJohn Coletti/Getty Images

Population of metro area: 972,200

Percentage of women in the real-estate workforce in 2021: 57%

Median earnings for women in real estate in 2021: $54,217

Women's earnings as a percent of men's earnings in real estate in 2021: 125%

3. Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, New York

3. Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, New York
Poughkeepsie, New York.iStock

Population of metro area: 701,600

Percentage of women in the real-estate workforce in 2021: 51%

Median earnings for women in real estate in 2021: $63,947

Women's earnings as a percent of men's earnings in real estate in 2021: 103%

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2. Stockton, California

2. Stockton, California
Stockton, California.Terrance Emerson / Shutterstock

Population of metro area: 789,400

Percentage of women in the real-estate workforce in 2021: 58%

Median earnings for women in real estate in 2021: $86,818

Women's earnings as a percent of men's earnings in real estate in 2021: 155%

1. Toledo, Ohio

1. Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio.Getty Images

Population of metro area: 644,200

Percent of real estate workforce women made up in 2021: 59%

Median earnings for women in real estate in 2021: $78,782

Women's earnings as a percent of men's earnings in real estate in 2021: 136%

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