What is a broker and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

A broker is a finance professional who manages business transactions. As a broker, you carry out investments such as insurance or real estate deals, liaising between banks and clients. Essentially, your job is to build relationships with customers and negotiate arrangements.

Being a broker is a kind of sales position often considered as a stepping stone toward a supervisor sales role. Brokers work for different industries and are expected to be knowledgeable about the products and services of the company they work for, in order to provide top-notch customer services.

Actually, customer service is the biggest part of the job. Brokers continuously work on relationships with clients, assessing their needs and offering solutions to their problems. The ultimate task, however, is to close deals by aligning the interests of buyers and sellers.

ScoreBrokerUS Average
Salary
8.3

Avg. Salary $124,861

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.9

Growth Rate 5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.32%

Asian 6.85%

Black or African American 5.29%

Hispanic or Latino 13.18%

Unknown 4.31%

White 70.05%

Gender

female 36.20%

male 63.80%

Age - 50
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 50
Stress Level
7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
9.1

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
3.6

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

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Broker career paths

Key steps to become a broker

  1. Explore broker education requirements

    Most common broker degrees

    Bachelor's

    65.9 %

    Associate

    12.8 %

    Master's

    8.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific broker skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Brokerage16.71%
    Financial Services9.13%
    Insurance Products6.89%
    Risk Management6.11%
    Client Relationships5.92%
  3. Complete relevant broker training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New brokers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a broker based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real broker resumes.
  4. Obtain the necessary licensing

    Becoming a licensed broker usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed broker in most of states. 46 states require brokers to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.
    State
    ascdesc
    Education
    ascdesc
    Exam
    ascdesc
    License Url
    ascdesc
    Alabama-State exam requiredLicensed Real Estate Broker
    MarylandDegree requiredState exam requiredREAL ESTATE BROKER
    Alaska--Real Estate Broker
    ArkansasSpecific course requiredState exam requiredReal Estate Broker
    CaliforniaDegree requiredState exam requiredReal Estate Broker License
  5. Research broker duties and responsibilities

    • Manage, lease and sell office condominiums on site.
    • Retail trader, fix income securities; manage client account activity; properly allocate client funds to appropriate investment options
    • Manage indexes, options, foreign equities, and short-selling positions that are compatible with clients' long-term investment goals.
    • Expand and maintain professional relationships with trading accounts including banks, hedge funds and portfolio managers.
  6. Prepare your broker resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your broker resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a broker resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Broker Resume templates

    Build a professional Broker resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Broker resume.
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  7. Apply for broker jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a broker job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Broker Job

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Average broker salary

The average Broker salary in the United States is $124,861 per year or $60 per hour. Broker salaries range between $68,000 and $227,000 per year.

Average Broker Salary
$124,861 Yearly
$60.03 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.