Why do the two pay figures differ?
There is no BLS series for apartment leasing staff. The closest one is real estate sales agents, which also covers licensed agents who sell homes. That series puts the 2026 US median at about $54,500 a year. The National Apartment Association's career map gives a lower figure for leasing staff alone: a median base salary of $39,000 and a 75th percentile base of $48,800.
The gap makes sense once you know what each figure counts. The NAA number is base salary only, before commissions. The BLS series counts total wages for employed sales agents across all of real estate. In May 2025, BLS reported a median of $49,850 for sales agents working in the real estate and rental and leasing industry, which sits closer to where most leasing jobs are.
How base pay, commission and bonuses fit together
Most leasing jobs pay an hourly wage or salary, then add a commission for each signed lease. The 2025 RCLCO compensation survey, as reported by NAA, found that 81% of companies pay leasing commissions as a flat dollar amount per lease or renewal. It also found that 82.4% of lease renewals count toward commission, so keeping residents can pay as well as signing new ones.
Lease-up work on a new building pays more. In an NAA article on lease-up specialists, operators described lease-up specialists earning a base of $50,000 to $85,000, with commissions of $50 to $200 or more per lease. Some used tiers, where the per-lease amount rose after the first five or ten leases, and extra bonuses for hitting monthly occupancy targets.
What moves leasing pay
Location matters most. On the BLS series, the New York median is about $106,200 and the Texas median about $47,200. Market demand also shifts pay over time. NAA's Q1 2026 labor report showed median advertised salaries for leasing professionals up 2.4% nationally, with the fastest gains in Seattle at 5.4% and Los Angeles at 4.0%.
Property type and volume matter next. A lease-up of a 300-unit building produces far more commission than a stabilized property where only a share of units turn each year. Luxury and urban high-rise communities tend to pay higher bases. The Certified Apartment Leasing Professional (CALP) credential from NAA covers sales, fair housing and marketing, and can help you stand out for better-paid roles.
Where leasing pay goes next
Leasing is usually the first step into property management. NAA's career map lists assistant manager as a next step on the leasing-to-management track. It gives assistant managers a median base salary of $49,200 and a 75th percentile base of $59,400, about $10,000 above leasing at both points. Strong closers who prefer sales can stay in leasing and move into lease-up, portfolio or regional leasing roles, where commission potential stays higher.
Pay
USD a year, before tax. Ranges run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, from BLS OEWS May 2025, moved to 2026 with the Employment Cost Index. The series is real estate sales agents, the nearest match to leasing staff; it counts employees only, so most self-employed agents are excluded, and commission volume, state and property type move the figure. Refer to the Leasing salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Base payHourly or salaried base. NAA's career map lists a median leasing base of $39,000 and a 75th percentile of $48,800.
- Per-lease commissionPer the 2025 RCLCO survey reported by NAA, 81% of companies pay a flat dollar amount per lease or renewal.
- Renewal creditThe same survey found 82.4% of lease renewals are eligible for commission.
- Lease-up premiumAn NAA article on lease-up specialists reported lease-up bases of $50,000 to $85,000 and $50 to $200 or more per lease, often tiered.
- CALP credentialNAA's Certified Apartment Leasing Professional covers sales process, fair housing, rental criteria and marketing plans.
How to get there
- Year 0-2Leasing consultantTours, applications, move-ins and renewals at a stabilized community. Base pay plus per-lease commission.
- Year 1Earn the CALPNAA credential covering sales, fair housing and marketing. Useful when applying for senior leasing or lease-up roles.
- Year 2-4Lease-up or senior leasingNew buildings pay higher bases and tiered commissions because there are many more leases to sign.
- Year 2-5Assistant community managerNAA lists a median base of $49,200 and a 75th percentile of $59,400.
- Year 4+Community manager or regional leasingMove into running a property, or stay in sales and lead leasing across a portfolio.
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Questions people ask
Do leasing consultants get paid commission?
Most do. The 2025 RCLCO compensation survey, reported by NAA, found 81% of companies pay leasing commissions as a flat dollar amount per lease or renewal. Commission sits on top of an hourly wage or salary.
Why is the BLS figure higher than NAA's leasing salary?
The BLS figure comes from the real estate sales agents series, the nearest match, which also covers home sales agents and counts total wages. NAA's $39,000 median is base salary for leasing staff only, before commissions.
Do renewals count toward commission?
Usually yes. The RCLCO survey found 82.4% of lease renewals are commission eligible, which rewards consultants for keeping current residents.
Do lease-up jobs pay more?
Yes. An NAA article on lease-up specialists reported lease-up bases of $50,000 to $85,000 and commissions of $50 to $200 or more per lease, with milestone bonuses at some buildings. A new building simply has far more leases to sign.
Which states pay leasing staff the most?
On the BLS real estate sales agents series, New York's median is about $106,200 and New Jersey's about $103,100. Texas and Georgia sit in the high $40,000s at the median.
Are self-employed agents included in these figures?
No. BLS counts employees only, so most self-employed agents and brokers fall outside the series. Most apartment leasing consultants are employees, so the exclusion matters less for them than for home sales agents.
Sources
- National Apartment Association: NAAEI Career Map
- National Apartment Association: Why employee retention challenges go deeper than wages
- National Apartment Association: Meet the apartment industry's lease-up specialists
- National Apartment Association: Apartment Labor Market Dynamics Report Q1 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Real estate brokers and sales agents, Occupational Outlook Handbook
