Retail Salespersons pay in the U.S.
$37,310avg. a year
$17.94 an hour · 3,897,860 employed
Retail Salespersons in the U.S. earn an average of $37,310 a year and a median of $35,410. Pay is highest in Washington ($43,530) and lowest in Mississippi ($31,150).
$35,410Median pay
$17.94Average hourly
+21%Avg. pay since 2020
3,897,860Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for retail salespersons
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
184,850 jobs
Washington
$43,530
$20.93 an hour
2376,460 jobs
California
$42,950
$20.65 an hour
3238,540 jobs
New York
$42,580
$20.47 an hour
48,250 jobs
Vermont
$42,450
$20.41 an hour
54,660 jobs
District of Columbia
$42,380
$20.38 an hour
672,530 jobs
New Jersey
$41,870
$20.13 an hour
776,660 jobs
Colorado
$41,540
$19.97 an hour
842,410 jobs
Connecticut
$40,610
$19.53 an hour
919,180 jobs
Hawaii
$40,520
$19.48 an hour
1048,090 jobs
Oregon
$40,360
$19.41 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Retail Salespersons pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $35k$35k–$37k$37k–$40k$40k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $47,420 | $22.80 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $47,290 | $22.73 |
| Napa, CA | $45,630 | $21.94 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $45,020 | $21.65 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $44,690 | $21.49 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $44,180 | $21.24 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $43,970 | $21.14 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $43,950 | $21.13 |
Related jobs
- Cashiers$33,180
- Counter and Rental Clerks$45,700
- Parts Salespersons$43,830
- Gambling Change Persons and Booth Cashiers$39,100
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel$82,430
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products$82,530
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Retail Salespersons pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $33,340 | $30,040 | 60,880 |
| Alaska | $39,890 | $37,290 | 7,890 |
| Arizona | $38,190 | $35,720 | 93,920 |
| Arkansas | $32,350 | $29,270 | 35,510 |
| California | $42,950 | $38,440 | 376,460 |
| Colorado | $41,540 | $37,950 | 76,660 |
| Connecticut | $40,610 | $36,490 | 42,410 |
| Delaware | $37,390 | $35,360 | 13,400 |
| District of Columbia | $42,380 | $38,500 | 4,660 |
| Florida | $36,000 | $34,010 | 333,460 |
| Georgia | $33,980 | $30,840 | 143,120 |
| Hawaii | $40,520 | $37,790 | 19,180 |
| Idaho | $37,340 | $35,080 | 20,180 |
| Illinois | $38,680 | $35,370 | 126,610 |
| Indiana | $35,200 | $31,530 | 83,670 |
| Iowa | $34,480 | $31,360 | 41,000 |
| Kansas | $34,970 | $32,180 | 33,360 |
| Kentucky | $32,570 | $29,650 | 51,250 |
| Louisiana | $32,510 | $29,490 | 49,570 |
| Maine | $40,050 | $36,640 | 18,450 |
| Maryland | $37,950 | $35,510 | 79,320 |
| Massachusetts | $39,970 | $36,610 | 86,860 |
| Michigan | $37,830 | $34,640 | 111,010 |
| Minnesota | $38,380 | $36,370 | 74,840 |
| Mississippi | $31,150 | $28,640 | 38,400 |
| Missouri | $36,310 | $33,460 | 67,140 |
| Montana | $38,170 | $36,270 | 13,490 |
| Nebraska | $35,220 | $31,870 | 22,780 |
| Nevada | $36,320 | $34,190 | 43,920 |
| New Hampshire | $39,240 | $36,200 | 23,880 |
| New Jersey | $41,870 | $36,520 | 72,530 |
| New Mexico | $35,500 | $33,300 | 23,800 |
| New York | $42,580 | $37,720 | 238,540 |
| North Carolina | $34,230 | $31,370 | 127,540 |
| North Dakota | $38,530 | $36,040 | 11,320 |
| Ohio | $34,580 | $30,800 | 137,370 |
| Oklahoma | $33,060 | $29,660 | 43,830 |
| Oregon | $40,360 | $36,770 | 48,090 |
| Pennsylvania | $34,530 | $31,200 | 141,790 |
| Rhode Island | $37,570 | $34,860 | 12,830 |
| South Carolina | $33,790 | $30,690 | 67,310 |
| South Dakota | $39,720 | $34,370 | 14,180 |
| Tennessee | $35,010 | $31,950 | 87,380 |
| Texas | $34,050 | $30,800 | 341,640 |
| Utah | $36,740 | $33,900 | 47,570 |
| Vermont | $42,450 | $37,400 | 8,250 |
| Virginia | $36,290 | $34,240 | 100,290 |
| Washington | $43,530 | $39,560 | 84,850 |
| West Virginia | $31,230 | $28,950 | 19,050 |
| Wisconsin | $36,400 | $34,480 | 67,640 |
| Wyoming | $37,070 | $34,310 | 8,770 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$43,950
202,080 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$43,010
130,650 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$35,160
100,340 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$39,370
96,950 jobsMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$36,820
91,370 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$35,050
84,970 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$34,640
78,960 jobsPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$38,580
69,060 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do retail salespersons make?
The average is $37,310 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $35,410 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $17.94, and the median is $17.03 an hour.
Which state pays retail salespersons the most?
Washington, with an average of $43,530 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $47,420.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $27,210 a year, and the top 10% earn over $47,890.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 41-2031. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.