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Retail Salespersons Salary
Retail Salespersons earn a median $35,410 a year in the U.S., with 3,897,860 jobs (May 2025).
- Median wage
- $35,410 a year
- Employment
- 3,897,860
- Excludes self-employed
- Projected growth
- -0.3%
- 2025 to 2035
- Openings per year
- 520,600
- Average, including replacements
Pay range nationally
The middle half of workers earn between the 25th and 75th percentile (shaded)
- Median (50%)
- $35,410 · $17.03 an hour
- Mean (average)
- $37,310 · $17.94 an hour (estimate error ±0.2%)
- 10th percentile
- $27,210 · $13.08 an hour
- 25th percentile
- $29,900 · $14.38 an hour
- 75th percentile
- $38,670 · $18.59 an hour
- 90th percentile
- $47,890 · $23.02 an hour
- Employment
- 3,897,860 (estimate error ±0.3%)
What they do
Standard Occupational Classification definition
Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers. Excludes “Cashiers” (41-2011).
Job outlook
BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035
- Jobs in 2025
- 4 million
- Projected for 2035
- 3.98 million
- Change
- -14,000 (-0.3%)
- Openings each year
- 520,600
- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 3.0%
Occupational Outlook Handbook (duties, how to become one, work environment)
Highest paying states
Median wage for this occupation
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| # | State | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $39,560 | 84,850 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $38,500 | 4,660 |
| 3 | California | $38,440 | 376,460 |
| 4 | Colorado | $37,950 | 76,660 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $37,790 | 19,180 |
| 6 | New York | $37,720 | 238,540 |
| 7 | Vermont | $37,400 | 8,250 |
| 8 | Alaska | $37,290 | 7,890 |
| 9 | Oregon | $36,770 | 48,090 |
| 10 | Maine | $36,640 | 18,450 |
States with the most jobs
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| State | Employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| California | 376,460 | $38,440 |
| Texas | 341,640 | $30,800 |
| Florida | 333,460 | $34,010 |
| New York | 238,540 | $37,720 |
| Georgia | 143,120 | $30,840 |
| Pennsylvania | 141,790 | $31,200 |
| Ohio | 137,370 | $30,800 |
| North Carolina | 127,540 | $31,370 |
| Illinois | 126,610 | $35,370 |
| Michigan | 111,010 | $34,640 |
Highest paying metro areas
Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| # | Metro area | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $44,220 | 18,340 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $43,850 | 39,460 |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $42,080 | 46,620 |
| 4 | Napa, CA | $40,780 | 2,150 |
| 5 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $39,630 | 2,510 |
| 6 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $39,570 | 5,720 |
| 7 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $39,240 | 1,730 |
| 8 | Boulder, CO | $38,700 | 4,880 |
| 9 | Longview-Kelso, WA | $38,680 | 1,120 |
| 10 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $38,620 | 2,430 |
| 11 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $38,470 | 2,770 |
| 12 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $38,470 | 40,340 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| Metro area | Employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 202,080 | $38,280 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 130,650 | $37,700 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 100,340 | $33,400 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 96,950 | $35,820 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 91,370 | $34,330 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 84,970 | $32,850 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 78,960 | $31,340 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 69,060 | $35,960 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 66,920 | $36,610 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 64,150 | $36,850 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 63,990 | $34,810 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 51,180 | $36,670 |
Visa filings for this occupation
Wages employers offered on Department of Labor filings
- H-1B (FY 2026 through Q3)1 certified filingsMedian offered wage Not reported
- PERM green card (FY 2026 through Q3)83 certified filingsMedian offered wage $31,500
Retail Salespersons pay by state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Related occupations
Frequently asked questions
- How much do retail salespersons make?
- The median wage for retail salespersons in the U.S. is $35,410 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $29,900 and $38,670.
- Which state pays retail salespersons the most?
- Washington has the highest median wage for this occupation at $39,560 a year.
- What is the job outlook for retail salespersons?
- BLS projects employment to decline 0.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 520,600 openings each year on average.
- What education do retail salespersons need?
- The typical entry-level education is: no formal educational credential.