What is the average fee paid to the executor of an estate?

On average, the executor of an estate earns approximately 6 percent of the income earned by the estate plus other fees, including a corpus commission. The executor is responsible for probating the will, selling assets, opening bank accounts, paying debts and filing necessary tax paperwork.

An estate's executor must also give an accounting to the courts and the decedent's beneficiaries, as well as make monetary distributions to the beneficiaries as declared by the will. The executor's task is not without risk, however, as the possibility exists that the beneficiaries may sue him for failure to perform his duties. The executor must pay taxes on monies earned.