Real Estate Developers

There is no set pay scale for real estate developers. How much they make depends on their skill and experience, the size of the projects on which they work, the structure established for their payment in the development entity contract, and the successful completion of the project. Some real estate developers become millionaires. An exceptional few become billionaires, such as President Donald Trump, who made his fortune developing properties across the United States and overseas as chairman and CEO of the Trump Organization and founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts.

Sometimes, developers are contracted by a group of individual investors or a company to manage a project. In this case they may work out a consulting agreement with a certain secured fee up front, preset fees paid throughout the duration of the project, and some percentage of the profits once the project is complete. Or the agreement may contain some combination of these payment options.

A less experienced developer will often shoulder more risk on a project to gain expertise and complete work that will improve the developer's reputation. In these instances, developers may be undercompensated or not paid at all for their time and effort if the project fails.

In August 2020, PayScale.com reported that real estate development managers had a median salary of approximately $100,110. Salaries ranged from $63,000 to $156,000. Developers of large properties can earn millions of dollars annually.