Salary Trends Across Licensed Professions
Compensation across licensed professions varies dramatically — from a median of $52,030 for real estate agents to $212,650 for CRNAs. These gaps reflect differences in education requirements, licensure complexity, market demand, and pay structure. For employers, HR teams, and workforce planners, understanding these ranges is essential for competitive hiring, retention budgets, and cross-profession benchmarking.
How Do Salaries Compare Across Licensed Professions?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes occupation-specific wage data annually. Here’s where the major licensed professions stand based on the most recent data:
| Profession | SOC Code | Median Annual Salary | Pay Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse (RN) | 29-1141 | $86,070 | Salary + shift differentials |
| Nurse Practitioner (NP) | 29-1171 | $126,260 | Salary (some productivity bonuses) |
| CRNA | 29-1151 | $212,650 | Salary + call pay |
| Real Estate Agent | 41-9022 | $52,030 | Commission-based |
| Real Estate Broker | 41-9021 | $63,060 | Commission + overrides |
| Mortgage Loan Officer | 13-2072 | $65,850 | Base salary + commission |
A few important caveats. BLS figures include part-time workers, which pulls medians down for commission-based roles like real estate. Full-time agents in active markets typically earn well above the median. And salary figures for nurses don’t always capture overtime, which can add 15-25% to base pay in many hospital settings.
For detailed state-by-state breakdowns, see our real estate agent salary analysis and MLO salary data.
What’s Driving Salary Changes in Healthcare?
Nursing salaries have climbed steadily since 2020, and the trend isn’t slowing. According to BLS data, RN wages grew roughly 8% between 2022 and 2025 in nominal terms. Several factors are pushing this:
Demand-supply imbalance. The Health Resources and Services Administration projects a shortfall of over 78,000 RNs by 2030. States with aging populations — Florida, Arizona, Pennsylvania — are already feeling this acutely.
Specialty premiums. Advanced practice nurses command significantly higher pay. NPs earn roughly 47% more than RNs, and CRNAs earn nearly 2.5x the RN median. For employers, this means budgeting for specialty roles requires a fundamentally different compensation model.
Geographic variation. California RNs earn a median above $124,000 according to BLS, while Mississippi RNs earn closer to $58,000. Cost of living explains some of this, but not all — California’s nurse-to-patient ratio mandates and strong union presence both push wages higher.
| Factor | Impact on Nursing Wages |
|---|---|
| State staffing mandates | +10-15% in regulated states |
| Union representation | +5-12% premium |
| Compact licensure (NLC) | Neutral on wages, increases mobility |
| Telehealth expansion | Creating new NP demand, stabilizing wages |
| Travel nursing decline | Downward pressure on temporary rates |
The travel nursing boom of 2021-2023 has largely normalized, but it reset expectations. Many hospitals now offer higher base pay and retention bonuses rather than relying on expensive travelers.
How Does Commission-Based Pay Work in Real Estate and Mortgage?
Unlike nursing, real estate and mortgage compensation is tied directly to transaction volume. This creates wide income distributions within each profession.
Real Estate Agents and Brokers
Most real estate agents earn through commission splits with their brokerage. A typical arrangement gives the agent 60-80% of the commission earned on a transaction, with the remainder going to the brokerage. New agents often start at 50/50 splits.
According to NAR research, the median gross income for REALTORS with 2 years or less experience was approximately $15,000 in 2023. That figure jumps to over $75,000 for agents with 16+ years of experience. The distribution is heavily skewed — a small percentage of top producers earn six figures while many part-time agents earn relatively little.
Post-NAR settlement changes in 2024-2025 have also shifted commission dynamics. Buyer agent compensation is no longer advertised on MLS systems in many markets, which has introduced more negotiation into the process.
Mortgage Loan Officers
MLOs typically receive a base salary plus commission on funded loans, though compensation structures vary by employer. According to BLS data (SOC 13-2072), the median is $65,850, but top-performing MLOs at large lenders or independent brokerages can earn well above $150,000.
Key variables affecting MLO compensation:
- Loan volume. More closings means more commission income
- Loan type. Jumbo and commercial loans typically pay higher per-unit commissions
- Interest rate environment. Refinance booms inflate income; rate hikes suppress it
- Employer type. Bank-employed MLOs earn more stable base pay; broker-employed MLOs earn higher commissions
The SAFE Act’s uniform federal requirements create a consistent baseline for entry, but state-specific add-ons for continuing education and testing can affect the cost of maintaining active status.
Which Regions Pay the Most?
Regional salary patterns differ by profession, and they don’t always align the way you’d expect.
Top-Paying Regions by Profession
| Region | Nursing (RN) | Real Estate Agent | MLO |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Coast (CA, WA, OR) | Highest ($95-124K) | Above average ($60-75K) | Above average ($72-85K) |
| Northeast (NY, MA, CT) | High ($85-105K) | Highest ($65-81K) | High ($70-80K) |
| Southeast (FL, GA, NC) | Below average ($65-75K) | Moderate ($45-55K) | Moderate ($55-65K) |
| Midwest (OH, MI, IL) | Moderate ($70-80K) | Below average ($40-52K) | Below average ($50-60K) |
| Mountain West (CO, AZ, UT) | Moderate ($75-85K) | Above average ($55-70K) | Moderate ($60-70K) |
For nursing, state-level factors like mandated staffing ratios and union density matter more than cost of living alone. For real estate, local market prices drive commission income directly — an agent selling $500K homes earns more per transaction than one selling $200K homes, even at the same split.
What Should Employers Take Away?
If you’re building compensation packages or budgeting for licensed roles, here’s what the data suggests:
For healthcare employers: Expect continued upward pressure on nursing wages, especially for NPs and CRNAs. Retention strategies matter more than ever. Signing bonuses have declined from pandemic peaks but remain common for specialty roles.
For real estate brokerages: Agent retention depends heavily on split structure, lead generation support, and training. The BLS median understates what productive full-time agents actually earn. Competitive brokerages are shifting toward better splits and technology tools rather than higher desk fees.
For mortgage lenders: MLO compensation is cyclical. Budget conservatively during rate-sensitive periods. The SAFE Act creates a floor for qualification costs, but top MLOs expect compensation tied to production.
Our API provides programmatic access to licensing requirement data across professions, including state-specific details that affect workforce planning. For a broader view of how licensing requirements compare across industries, explore our guides.
How Reliable Is BLS Salary Data?
BLS data from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program is the gold standard for profession-level compensation analysis, but it has limitations worth noting:
- Lag time. Published data is typically 12-18 months behind current conditions
- Part-time inclusion. Medians include part-time workers, which suppresses numbers for commission-based roles
- No bonus/overtime capture. Base compensation only — doesn’t reflect total comp for roles with significant variable pay
- SOC classification gaps. Some emerging roles (telehealth coordinators, compliance specialists) don’t have clean SOC mappings
For the most current compensation benchmarks, supplement BLS data with industry-specific surveys from NAR, AONL (nursing), and MBA (mortgage lending).
Salary data sourced from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 release. NAR member survey data from 2023 Member Profile. Industry projections from HRSA workforce modeling.