Side-by-side license comparison
| Metric | HVAC Technician | Real Estate Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Trades | Real Estate |
| Median Salary | $57,790 | $86,490 |
| Avg Initial Fee | $208 | $298 |
| Difficulty | Medium | Medium-High |
| Education | Certificate/Apprenticeship + EPA 608 | Additional 60-90 hours + 2-3 years experience |
| Exam | EPA 608 + State (varies) | State Broker Exam |
| Time to License | 2-4 years | 3-5 years |
| Renewal Period | Every 3 yr | Every 2 yr |
| CE Hours / Cycle | 16 hrs | 24 hrs |
| States Requiring | 37 of 53 | 53 of 53 |
Real Estate Broker earns $28,700 more per year on average. Over a 10-year career span, that adds up to approximately $287,000 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.