Cashiers
Cashiers (SOC 41-2011) earn a median $32,880 a year ($15.81 an hour) in the United States, with 3,089,410 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What cashiers do
Cashiers handle money coming in and going out at businesses other than financial institutions. They take payment in cash, check, credit card, voucher, or automatic debit, and give receipts, refunds, credits, and change. To work out prices and totals, they may use calculators, cash registers, optical scanners, or related electronic gear, and they may process card transactions and validate checks. They welcome customers who enter, answer questions about procedures or policies, deal with complaints, and take incoming calls. They also check that checkout stations have enough cash and enough staff. Auction clerk, box office attendant, and bridge toll collector are among the titles O*NET lists, which shows how many kinds of business use cashiers. Casino change persons and booth cashiers (41-2012) are excluded, and retail salespersons, who recommend and sell merchandise, form a distinct code.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the usual education level (about 44 percent).
Also called: Auction Clerk, Bottle Booth Attendant, Box Office Attendant, Bridge Toll Collector, Cage Cashier.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $11.79 | $13.81 | $15.81 | $17.47 | $19.43 | $15.95 | 3,089,410 |
| Annual | $24,530 | $28,720 | $32,880 | $36,330 | $40,410 | $33,180 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where cashiers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $17.50 | $18.11 | $18.69 | $21.58 | $24.83 | $20.37 | 6,060 | 8.63 | 0.43 |
| Annual | $36,400 | $37,670 | $38,880 | $44,880 | $51,640 | $42,370 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $17.10 | $17.54 | $18.62 | $22.24 | $24.70 | $20.16 | 61,050 | 17.19 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $35,560 | $36,470 | $38,720 | $46,260 | $51,370 | $41,930 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $16.71 | $17.21 | $17.84 | $20.38 | $23.53 | $19.26 | 336,110 | 18.45 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $34,760 | $35,800 | $37,100 | $42,390 | $48,950 | $40,060 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $15.14 | $16.71 | $17.72 | $18.97 | $22.60 | $18.38 | 51,670 | 17.98 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $31,490 | $34,750 | $36,870 | $39,460 | $47,000 | $38,220 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $14.57 | $16.17 | $17.68 | $20.22 | $22.30 | $18.49 | 10,780 | 17.18 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $30,310 | $33,640 | $36,780 | $42,050 | $46,380 | $38,450 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $16.71 | $17.21 | $17.84 | $20.38 | $23.53 | $19.26 | 336,110 | 18.45 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $34,760 | $35,800 | $37,100 | $42,390 | $48,950 | $40,060 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $10.62 | $12.42 | $14.06 | $16.40 | $17.78 | $14.38 | 245,730 | 17.46 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $22,090 | $25,820 | $29,230 | $34,100 | $36,980 | $29,920 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $13.31 | $13.77 | $14.68 | $16.75 | $18.10 | $15.47 | 201,370 | 20.28 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $27,690 | $28,650 | $30,530 | $34,840 | $37,650 | $32,170 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $15.67 | $16.48 | $17.07 | $17.96 | $21.56 | $18.05 | 158,890 | 16.40 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $32,600 | $34,280 | $35,500 | $37,350 | $44,850 | $37,540 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.00 | $16.58 | $17.49 | $18.50 | $16.80 | 139,630 | 22.90 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $31,200 | $34,490 | $36,380 | $38,480 | $34,950 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $17.60 | $18.54 | $21.26 | $23.85 | $26.31 | $21.50 | 30,470 | 14.61 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $36,600 | $38,570 | $44,210 | $49,600 | $54,720 | $44,720 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $18.38 | $19.44 | $20.65 | $22.19 | $27.73 | $21.68 | 16,530 | 14.56 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $38,240 | $40,440 | $42,960 | $46,150 | $57,670 | $45,090 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $17.67 | $18.55 | $19.84 | $21.82 | $25.93 | $20.80 | 38,250 | 16.11 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $36,750 | $38,580 | $41,270 | $45,380 | $53,920 | $43,260 | ||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $17.04 | $18.07 | $18.75 | $22.11 | $23.48 | $20.40 | 1,500 | 20.38 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $35,440 | $37,580 | $39,010 | $45,980 | $48,830 | $42,430 | ||||
| Boulder, CO | Hourly | $16.80 | $17.52 | $18.52 | $21.25 | $23.02 | $19.40 | 3,100 | 16.12 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $34,930 | $36,430 | $38,520 | $44,210 | $47,880 | $40,360 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $15.79 | $16.50 | $17.28 | $18.33 | $22.12 | $18.36 | 173,830 | 18.31 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $32,850 | $34,320 | $35,950 | $38,130 | $46,020 | $38,180 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $16.98 | $17.34 | $17.78 | $18.61 | $23.13 | $19.01 | 109,940 | 17.53 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $35,320 | $36,070 | $36,980 | $38,700 | $48,110 | $39,550 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.48 | $16.83 | $17.84 | $19.85 | $17.19 | 99,240 | 21.99 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $32,210 | $35,010 | $37,110 | $41,280 | $35,760 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $11.03 | $13.03 | $14.38 | $16.35 | $17.67 | $14.56 | 65,070 | 16.07 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $22,940 | $27,110 | $29,910 | $34,010 | $36,760 | $30,290 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $13.33 | $13.88 | $14.54 | $16.98 | $18.89 | $15.63 | 56,340 | 19.98 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $27,730 | $28,870 | $30,250 | $35,310 | $39,290 | $32,520 | ||||
Top industries employing cashiers
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) employ 27.8% of cashiers nationally (858,370 jobs) at a median $34,210 a year ($16.45 an hour), followed by Gasoline Stations (19.0%) and General Merchandise Retailers (16.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) NAICS 4450A1 | 858,370 | 27.8% | $34,210 | $16.45 |
| Gasoline Stations NAICS 457100 | 588,500 | 19.0% | $30,530 | $14.68 |
| General Merchandise Retailers NAICS 455000 | 496,330 | 16.1% | $31,250 | $15.02 |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places NAICS 722500 | 299,110 | 9.7% | $31,200 | $15.00 |
| Building Material and Supplies Dealers NAICS 444100 | 144,860 | 4.7% | $35,210 | $16.93 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (3,089,410). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $27,260 for cashiers in May 2021 and $32,880 in May 2025, with employment of 3,318,020 and 3,089,410.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $27,260 | $13.11 | 3,318,020 |
| May 2022 | $28,240 | $13.58 | 3,296,040 |
| May 2023 | $29,720 | $14.29 | 3,298,660 |
| May 2024 | $31,190 | $14.99 | 3,148,030 |
| May 2025 | $32,880 | $15.81 | 3,089,410 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $18.69 | $38,880 | $36,400 | $51,640 | 6,060 | 8.63 | 0.43 |
| 2 | Washington profile | $18.62 | $38,720 | $35,560 | $51,370 | 61,050 | 17.19 | 0.87 |
| 3 | California profile | $17.84 | $37,100 | $34,760 | $48,950 | 336,110 | 18.45 | 0.93 |
| 4 | Colorado profile | $17.72 | $36,870 | $31,490 | $47,000 | 51,670 | 17.98 | 0.90 |
| 5 | Hawaii profile | $17.68 | $36,780 | $30,310 | $46,380 | 10,780 | 17.18 | 0.86 |
| 6 | Alaska profile | $17.37 | $36,130 | $30,780 | $45,430 | 5,810 | 17.84 | 0.90 |
| 7 | Vermont profile | $17.17 | $35,720 | $30,590 | $43,810 | 7,030 | 23.13 | 1.16 |
| 8 | Connecticut profile | $17.09 | $35,550 | $34,010 | $39,990 | 30,920 | 18.23 | 0.92 |
| 9 | Massachusetts profile | $17.08 | $35,520 | $32,180 | $44,020 | 58,880 | 16.19 | 0.81 |
| 10 | New York profile | $17.07 | $35,500 | $32,600 | $44,850 | 158,890 | 16.40 | 0.83 |
| 11 | Oregon profile | $16.97 | $35,300 | $30,890 | $45,820 | 37,660 | 19.14 | 0.96 |
| 12 | Maine profile | $16.79 | $34,930 | $30,770 | $38,890 | 14,240 | 22.23 | 1.12 |
| 13 | Rhode Island profile | $16.76 | $34,860 | $31,200 | $47,420 | 9,260 | 18.46 | 0.93 |
| 14 | Minnesota profile | $16.65 | $34,620 | $27,880 | $39,520 | 58,190 | 19.73 | 0.99 |
| 15 | Arizona profile | $16.64 | $34,600 | $31,020 | $39,500 | 72,570 | 22.40 | 1.13 |
| 16 | New Jersey profile | $16.63 | $34,590 | $32,220 | $43,260 | 107,680 | 25.13 | 1.26 |
| 17 | Illinois profile | $16.58 | $34,490 | $31,200 | $38,480 | 139,630 | 22.90 | 1.15 |
| 18 | Maryland profile | $16.54 | $34,390 | $31,200 | $39,770 | 49,910 | 18.07 | 0.91 |
| 19 | Montana profile | $16.44 | $34,190 | $23,900 | $41,590 | 12,170 | 23.79 | 1.20 |
| 20 | New Hampshire profile | $16.27 | $33,840 | $27,380 | $38,990 | 17,250 | 25.25 | 1.27 |
| 21 | Delaware profile | $16.10 | $33,490 | $31,200 | $37,030 | 11,450 | 23.61 | 1.19 |
| 22 | Utah profile | $15.19 | $31,600 | $23,530 | $39,320 | 22,940 | 13.22 | 0.67 |
| 23 | North Dakota profile | $15.12 | $31,460 | $27,870 | $37,330 | 9,510 | 22.14 | 1.11 |
| 24 | Wisconsin profile | $14.85 | $30,880 | $23,400 | $37,570 | 65,380 | 22.23 | 1.12 |
| 25 | Wyoming profile | $14.81 | $30,810 | $24,820 | $38,530 | 5,840 | 20.79 | 1.05 |
| 26 | Virginia profile | $14.70 | $30,580 | $27,040 | $37,450 | 83,890 | 20.41 | 1.03 |
| 27 | Florida profile | $14.68 | $30,530 | $27,690 | $37,650 | 201,370 | 20.28 | 1.02 |
| 28 | Missouri profile | $14.67 | $30,520 | $28,600 | $37,640 | 69,430 | 23.65 | 1.19 |
| 29 | Idaho profile | $14.60 | $30,370 | $22,400 | $38,440 | 17,200 | 20.06 | 1.01 |
| 30 | Nebraska profile | $14.54 | $30,250 | $28,080 | $36,070 | 20,650 | 20.16 | 1.01 |
| 31 | New Mexico profile | $14.48 | $30,120 | $27,460 | $38,050 | 19,020 | 21.84 | 1.10 |
| 32 | Nevada profile | $14.36 | $29,870 | $25,920 | $39,570 | 30,160 | 19.44 | 0.98 |
| 33 | South Dakota profile | $14.32 | $29,780 | $27,320 | $36,400 | 12,860 | 28.11 | 1.41 |
| 34 | Michigan profile | $14.30 | $29,740 | $26,660 | $36,560 | 92,930 | 21.10 | 1.06 |
| 35 | Indiana profile | $14.26 | $29,670 | $22,630 | $36,690 | 68,350 | 21.35 | 1.07 |
| 36 | Ohio profile | $14.07 | $29,260 | $23,600 | $36,250 | 103,020 | 18.56 | 0.93 |
| 37 | Texas profile | $14.06 | $29,230 | $22,090 | $36,980 | 245,730 | 17.46 | 0.88 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania profile | $14.05 | $29,220 | $22,270 | $36,280 | 110,950 | 18.30 | 0.92 |
| 39 | Georgia profile | $13.98 | $29,070 | $22,340 | $35,610 | 97,540 | 19.95 | 1.00 |
| 40 | Iowa profile | $13.93 | $28,970 | $22,930 | $36,560 | 41,450 | 26.58 | 1.34 |
| 41 | North Carolina profile | $13.89 | $28,880 | $22,450 | $35,810 | 106,440 | 21.54 | 1.08 |
| 42 | Kansas profile | $13.85 | $28,800 | $22,470 | $35,630 | 33,080 | 23.01 | 1.16 |
| 43 | Kentucky profile | $13.75 | $28,590 | $21,720 | $35,550 | 44,550 | 22.27 | 1.12 |
| 44 | Tennessee profile | $13.74 | $28,590 | $21,410 | $35,780 | 63,350 | 19.32 | 0.97 |
| 45 | South Carolina profile | $13.71 | $28,530 | $21,730 | $35,970 | 56,550 | 24.53 | 1.23 |
| 46 | Alabama profile | $13.58 | $28,250 | $21,300 | $34,950 | 46,420 | 21.96 | 1.11 |
| 47 | Oklahoma profile | $13.55 | $28,180 | $21,730 | $35,050 | 41,140 | 24.09 | 1.21 |
| 48 | Arkansas profile | $13.30 | $27,670 | $23,320 | $34,630 | 28,270 | 21.69 | 1.09 |
| 49 | Louisiana profile | $12.86 | $26,750 | $19,300 | $34,780 | 46,350 | 23.95 | 1.21 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $12.69 | $26,390 | $20,240 | $33,750 | 30,490 | 26.21 | 1.32 |
| 51 | West Virginia profile | $12.68 | $26,370 | $21,350 | $33,990 | 17,360 | 24.75 | 1.25 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (41-2010), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Sales and Related Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 41-2011 Cashiers.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 41-2011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 41-2011.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.