Side-by-side license comparison
| Metric | CPA (Certified Public Accountant) | Real Estate Agent |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Finance | Real Estate |
| Median Salary | $86,080 | $56,620 |
| Avg Initial Fee | $398 | $254 |
| Difficulty | Very High | Medium |
| Education | 150 credit hours + 1-2 years experience | 60-180 hours pre-licensing |
| Exam | CPA Exam (4 parts) | State Real Estate Exam |
| Time to License | 5-6 years | 2-6 months |
| Renewal Period | Every 2 yr | Every 2 yr |
| CE Hours / Cycle | 40 hrs | 16 hrs |
| States Requiring | 53 of 53 | 53 of 53 |
CPA (Certified Public Accountant) earns $29,460 more per year on average. Over a 10-year career span, that adds up to approximately $294,600 in additional earnings.
The LicenseWize editorial team aggregates and verifies licenses data from Bureau of Labor Statistics & State Licensing Boards. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.