As a real estate professional, you can make significant income. But the amount you earn will be heavily influenced by your geography, property type and role. It’s easy to get pigeonholed in the industry, even if you aren’t sure where your career is going. For example, if you spend the majority of your career developing single-tenant net lease (STNL) properties in Atlanta, you will be branded as such. This could impact your reputation, how much you’re paid, and how easily you’ll be able to raise capital.

Corporate real estate managers are responsible for managing the real estate portfolios of large non-real estate focused, for-profit companies. These portfolios often total millions of square feet, and these assets are where employees work, products are produced, and customers shop. These professionals are tasked with optimizing asset use and cost efficiency, and they have a direct impact on the bottom line of these companies. These are important responsibilities and roles, which is why these professionals typically earn solid salaries.

Real estate developers are tasked with the design, construction and financing of real estate assets, both residential and commercial. This can include new construction, renovations, and redevelopments of existing buildings or land. This is a highly competitive and lucrative profession, especially when you have the right skills, experience and network. Real estate developers can often earn a six-figure salary and enjoy a fast track to partner or management positions at their firms.

The role of a real estate broker is to facilitate the buying and selling of real estate assets. This can be a very rewarding and financially fruitful career, with the highest earning brokers making over $100,000 per year. The success of a real estate broker is largely dependent on the quality of their client base, and as such, generating leads and maintaining active networking are critical.

Real estate analysts are research professionals that provide analysis, research and advice on real estate investments. These analysts can be found in investment sales, leasing, and property management firms as well as real estate research/consulting firms and independent research/analysis firms.