If you are considering a career in commercial real estate it's smart to understand the range of roles and commercial real estate salaries. It's also good to understand where to go to locate commercial real estate salary tools online. A commercial real estate agent salary is likely to be commission-based. Other wages, such as that for a real estate developer salary or commercial real estate appraiser salary, may be structured differently.

A commercial realtor salary will vary according to the market in that area. Realtor salaries or commissions are higher in an expensive commercial property market than they would be in an area where commercial property values are lower or depressed. A few of the commercial real estate salary tools basics you need to know in order to get up to speed on wages in the industry include:

1. Understanding commercial real estate job roles and their salary potential;

2. Knowing commercial real estate markets and their potential to impact commercial real estate pay;

3. Comparing commercial real estate salaries according to the type of employer.

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Understand how commercial real estate salaries are structured according to role

The most lucrative position in the commercial real estate industry is that of a commercial real estate developer -- provided you are in a desirable area and you have the patience to wait for a deal to close. A deal can take upwards of four-to-six months to close. Most employers split profits down the middle each year up to $350,000 and then collect five percent of a deal's value. While less lucrative, a commercial real estate appraiser is paid per deal as well. With the right market and credentials, this job can earn in the six figure range within five years.

I recommend: Salary's articles detail the ins and outs of the commercial real estate developer salary. CNNMoney explains how to make commercial real estate appraising financially rewarding.

Learn about which markets have the greatest potential for real estate salary growth

The larger the city, the larger the potential for a lucrative commercial real estate business. Perhaps not surprisingly, New York and San Francisco are where the money is in terms of commercial real estate.

I recommend: PayScale's chart shows salary information for U.S. cities with the most brokerage firms. Nielsen Business Media sells reports that detail market information about apartment owners and brokerage houses.

Compare commercial real estate salary according to employer

Commercial real estate jobs exist in a variety of different businesses. Your salary will vary depending on whether you work for a bank, a real estate brokerage house or even a real estate management company.

I recommend: Scroll down to "Detailed Banking Salary Information" on the Careers in Finance website to view the salary average for a commercial real estate lender position in banking. Glassdoor's chart includes salaries for various positions in the commercial real estate industry.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  While the commercial real estate industry can surely be rewarding and lucrative, it is not without risk. In tight economic times, or when a company suddenly decides to relocate its business elsewhere, the impact can be huge and commercial real estate salaries will suffer.

The salary for commercial real estate professionals can be tricky to evaluate because it depends so heavily on fluctuating economic conditions. The higher the price of real estate, the higher the commission they earn. The higher the demand for real estate, the more they sell. However, these factors change from month to month, even day to day, and so determining the typical real estate salary requires keeping a watchful eye on the local and national real estate market and economy.

Commercial real estate salaries are based on:

1. The average commercial Realtor salary in your geographic region
2. How much property the Realtor sells
3. The cost of living in your state or city
   

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Compare Realtor salaries by geographic region

Commercial real estate salary is especially influenced by the economic climate of a given city or state, because how much a real estate agent earns is directly tied to how much he or she sells. Real estate agents depend on commissions from the properties they sell, and so if the real estate market in a particular region is suffering, commercial real estate pay will likely suffer as well.

I recommend: Research typical Realtor salaries at Vault or use the Salary Calculator at PayScale. You can also consult the Small Business section at Salary.com for custom salary reports.

Include salary software in your commercial real estate salary tools

In addition to a commercial real estate broker salary, your company may also offer bonuses, incentives and other perks. How much to offer depends not only on employee performance, but also on your company's budget, and salary software can help you determine the appropriate commercial Realtor salary and monitor your compensation system.

I recommend: Manage your entire compensation program with eCompensation from Halogen Software. SalaryExpert offers basic and specialized salary assessment software. The Economic Research Institute offers compensation software for everything from geographic salaries to cost-of-living comparisons.

Learn how to negotiate a commercial real estate agent salary that's ideal for you and your employees

Despite what websites or software say is an appropriate salary for commercial real estate, ultimately it depends on what's acceptable to both the employer and the employee. Strengthen your salary negotiation skills, so you can be assured of striking a fair deal.

I recommend: Follow the salary negotiation tips at PayScale and at The New Salary Negotiation Guide from Salary.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When determining commercial real estate pay, put as much thought into the benefits or incentives you'll offer as you do the salary. In many cases, it's the perks of a job that make it stand out in the minds of applicants.
• •  Monitor average commercial real estate salaries even when you're not in the process of hiring. This alerts you to changes in the market, and help you make sure your compensation package stays competitive.

Commercial real estate is a specialized area of real estate that offers a larger real estate salary than residential real estate. Depending on your experience, there are commercial real estate agents, brokers, appraisers and managers. With some commercial real estate salary tools education and training, you can utilize salary tools to find out the most prosperous area of commercial real estate to meet your needs.

When researching commercial real estate pay, remember that the executive positions demand much more personal time and energy than a selling agent. So while a six figure salary looks alluring on paper, remember that you'll be working hard to earn that salary. When using salary tools, remember the following:

1. Relocation calculators can help you determine the salary needed in different cities and states.

2. Different calculators will give different commercial real estate salaries, so average the given salaries for the most accurate range.

3. Depending on the job title, salaries will differ greatly. Type in different job titles when using salary calculators.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find out salary information for commercial real estate careers with salary calculators

Salary calculators are a popular tool during a job change or promotion. Online salary calculators vary in the salary it calculates and the information it uses to calculate the salary.

I recommend: CBSalary.com offers a salary information for a variety of commercial real estate careers. PayScale gives average salary information, but will also generate salary reports based on more in-depth information.

Learn how different factors affect a commercial real estate salary by reading salary surveys

Salary surveys are in-depth studies of a particular field. While there might not be a commercial real estate salary survey, there are real estate surveys that touch upon different facets of real estate. These facets affect the salaries of real estate specialities, like commercial real estate. Having background information on education, salary earnings and industry averages can help you choose the right commercial real estate job venture.

I recommend: The Institute of Real Estate Management has a salary survey regarding Accredited Residential Manager certification and how it affects salaries. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a yearly update on the field of real estate brokers and agents, including salary information.

Use job boards as a real estate salary tool

Whether you want to find a commercial real estate appraiser salary or a commercial real estate broker salary, using a job board is a great free salary tool. By looking at real ads placed online, you can see what companies currently offer for certain positions. Not all ads will have salary listed, but many job ads do list a salary range.

I recommend: Beyond.com's Real Estate Jobsite allows you to search real estate careers by state and city. Real-Jobs is a networking type job board that lets you view jobs after a free registration.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you're not against moving for a better job, using relocation calculators like Homefair, put out by Move.com, and CNNMoney can give you a better idea of realtor salaries and living expenses in a desired area.

The field of commercial real estate is a complex one that involves sales percentages and commission divisions. The salaries for working in the potentially lucrative field of commercial real estate can be complex too, which is why commercial real estate salary tools can be helpful.

There are some key terms associated with commercial real estate and the salary tools used to calculate salary figures in the industry. In order to figure out an average salary for a job in commercial real estate, gain an understanding of this commonly used key terminology.

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Draw account

A draw account is a spending account that can be used by a commercial real estate agent to draw money against their commissions or paid in advance against future commissions. These account figures are factored into overall salary at the end of a sales period.

I recommend: The Bureau of Labor Statistics explains the function of a special draw account that allows agents to draw money against future commissions, but also cautions that this practice is not universal and new agents should be financially prepared until commissions become regular.

Non-wage benefits

Non-wage benefits are any benefits received by a commercial real estate agent that are not of a monetary nature. Non-wage benefits can include health benefits and retirement plans. Some commercial real estate brokerages deduct taxes from overall salaries for these benefits.

I recommend: EconBrowser explains the trend in non-wage benefit awards and examines whether the trend will help or hinder industries like commercial real estate.

Leasing commission

A leasing commission is a commission bonus paid when a tenant signs a lease for a commercial real estate property.

I recommend: OfficeSpace explains how leasing commissions work and what factors can affect the receipt of such a commission.

Gross commission

The gross commission is the value of a sale to an agent found by multiplying the sale price of the house by the commission rate. This is the amount a commercial real estate agent earns before splitting up the commission.

I recommend: Altius Directory explains gross commission and how it's affected by other commission rates in commercial real estate. Learn what the average is for gross commissions and the rate that most commercial real estates earn after the gross commission is divided.

Referral fee

A referral fee is a bonus awarded to a real estate agent for referring a qualified buyer or seller to a property.

I recommend: U.S. Commercial Brokerage explains the referral fee program that it offers to real estate brokers or property managers.

Percentage split

The percentage split is the division of a sales commission between a commercial real estate agent and his broker based upon an agreed percentage. The most common split is 50-50, but some can be 80-20 in favor of the broker.

I recommend: Hembree and Associates Commercial Real Estate explains the calculation of a percentage split between agent and broker.