Also called: Property Developer
Turns empty land or old buildings into new apartments, offices or shopping centers, raising the money and taking the risk.
You meet an architect about a 200-unit apartment design, pitch investors for $15 million, and attend a heated city council hearing where neighbors complain about traffic. Projects take years, and one bad bet can wipe you out.
Developers often earn a modest salary plus a share of profits; a successful project can pay millions, while failed ones lose money.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 6 years after high school. Bachelor's in real estate, finance or architecture; many earn a master's in real estate development.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Real Estate, Finance, Architecture, Urban Planning.
Growing about average. Tied to interest rates and housing demand.
Low risk for 10 years. AI speeds site analysis and design options; raising money, winning city approval and taking the risk stays human.
Classes: Business elective, AP Microeconomics, Geometry, Speech and debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-9141.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.