Side-by-side license comparison
| Metric | General Contractor | Real Estate Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Trades | Real Estate |
| Median Salary | $101,480 | $86,490 |
| Avg Initial Fee | $359 | $298 |
| Difficulty | Medium-High | Medium-High |
| Education | Experience-based (2-5 years) | Additional 60-90 hours + 2-3 years experience |
| Exam | State Contractor Exam | State Broker Exam |
| Time to License | 3-6 years | 3-5 years |
| Renewal Period | Every 2 yr | Every 2 yr |
| CE Hours / Cycle | 14 hrs | 24 hrs |
| States Requiring | 41 of 53 | 53 of 53 |
General Contractor earns $14,990 more per year on average. Over a 10-year career span, that adds up to approximately $149,900 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.