Retail Salespersons
Retail Salespersons (SOC 41-2031) earn a median $35,410 a year ($17.03 an hour) in the United States, with 3,897,860 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What retail salespersons do
Retail salespersons sell goods like furniture, vehicles, appliances, or clothing to consumers. They greet customers and find out what each one wants or needs, then suggest, choose, and help locate or obtain merchandise to match. They describe the goods, explain how to use and care for them, demonstrate operation where it applies, and answer questions about the store and what it stocks. They figure sales prices, total purchases, and process cash or credit payment, and they ready merchandise for purchase or rental. Salespersons keep current on sales and promotions, payment and exchange policies, and security practices. O*NET lists titles such as art dealer, auto dealer, and automobile salesperson, which shows how wide the range of goods is. Cashiers (41-2011) are excluded, because they handle payment without selling merchandise to consumers.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the usual education level (about 63 percent).
Also called: Art Dealer, Art Objects Salesperson, Auto Dealer, Automobile Accessories Salesperson, Automobile Salesman.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.08 | $14.38 | $17.03 | $18.59 | $23.02 | $17.94 | 3,897,860 |
| Annual | $27,210 | $29,900 | $35,410 | $38,670 | $47,890 | $37,310 | ||
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 retail salespersons 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 | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $17.24 | $17.85 | $19.02 | $21.72 | $26.28 | $20.93 | 84,850 | 23.89 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $35,860 | $37,130 | $39,560 | $45,170 | $54,660 | $43,530 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $17.50 | $18.18 | $18.51 | $21.26 | $23.81 | $20.38 | 4,660 | 6.64 | 0.26 |
| Annual | $36,400 | $37,820 | $38,500 | $44,230 | $49,530 | $42,380 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $16.94 | $17.48 | $18.48 | $21.86 | $26.11 | $20.65 | 376,460 | 20.67 | 0.82 |
| Annual | $35,240 | $36,350 | $38,440 | $45,460 | $54,310 | $42,950 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $15.45 | $17.18 | $18.25 | $21.38 | $23.87 | $19.97 | 76,660 | 26.67 | 1.06 |
| Annual | $32,130 | $35,740 | $37,950 | $44,460 | $49,660 | $41,540 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $14.74 | $16.82 | $18.17 | $21.56 | $23.67 | $19.48 | 19,180 | 30.57 | 1.22 |
| Annual | $30,660 | $34,990 | $37,790 | $44,840 | $49,230 | $40,520 | ||||
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 | $16.94 | $17.48 | $18.48 | $21.86 | $26.11 | $20.65 | 376,460 | 20.67 | 0.82 |
| Annual | $35,240 | $36,350 | $38,440 | $45,460 | $54,310 | $42,950 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $11.22 | $13.34 | $14.81 | $17.57 | $21.67 | $16.37 | 341,640 | 24.28 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $23,330 | $27,750 | $30,800 | $36,540 | $45,080 | $34,050 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $13.62 | $14.16 | $16.35 | $17.82 | $22.18 | $17.31 | 333,460 | 33.58 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $28,330 | $29,460 | $34,010 | $37,070 | $46,130 | $36,000 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.18 | $17.15 | $18.13 | $21.22 | $28.19 | $20.47 | 238,540 | 24.62 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $33,650 | $35,670 | $37,720 | $44,130 | $58,630 | $42,580 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $10.86 | $13.27 | $14.83 | $17.51 | $22.32 | $16.34 | 143,120 | 29.27 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $22,590 | $27,610 | $30,840 | $36,420 | $46,430 | $33,980 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $18.89 | $19.70 | $21.26 | $22.60 | $28.03 | $22.80 | 18,340 | 16.16 | 0.64 |
| Annual | $39,300 | $40,980 | $44,220 | $47,010 | $58,300 | $47,420 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $18.40 | $19.24 | $21.08 | $23.03 | $28.35 | $22.73 | 39,460 | 16.62 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $38,270 | $40,010 | $43,850 | $47,900 | $58,960 | $47,290 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $17.79 | $18.50 | $20.23 | $22.04 | $27.39 | $21.65 | 46,620 | 22.35 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $37,000 | $38,480 | $42,080 | $45,850 | $56,960 | $45,020 | ||||
| Napa, CA | Hourly | $17.69 | $18.41 | $19.61 | $23.28 | $28.39 | $21.94 | 2,150 | 27.65 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $36,790 | $38,290 | $40,780 | $48,430 | $59,060 | $45,630 | ||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $16.56 | $17.72 | $19.05 | $22.54 | $27.59 | $21.14 | 2,510 | 34.02 | 1.36 |
| Annual | $34,450 | $36,860 | $39,630 | $46,890 | $57,380 | $43,970 | ||||
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 | $16.67 | $17.58 | $18.40 | $21.67 | $29.30 | $21.13 | 202,080 | 21.29 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $34,680 | $36,560 | $38,280 | $45,080 | $60,940 | $43,950 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.19 | $17.56 | $18.13 | $21.91 | $26.27 | $20.68 | 130,650 | 20.83 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $35,760 | $36,510 | $37,700 | $45,570 | $54,650 | $43,010 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $11.57 | $13.75 | $16.06 | $17.65 | $22.05 | $16.90 | 100,340 | 24.78 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $24,060 | $28,610 | $33,400 | $36,720 | $45,860 | $35,160 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $15.00 | $16.25 | $17.22 | $18.45 | $23.36 | $18.93 | 96,950 | 21.48 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $33,800 | $35,820 | $38,380 | $48,580 | $39,370 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $13.79 | $14.33 | $16.50 | $17.99 | $22.78 | $17.70 | 91,370 | 32.40 | 1.29 |
| Annual | $28,680 | $29,810 | $34,330 | $37,430 | $47,380 | $36,820 | ||||
Top industries employing retail salespersons
General Merchandise Retailers employ 20.4% of retail salespersons nationally (795,090 jobs) at a median $34,480 a year ($16.58 an hour), followed by Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (12.8%) and Building Material and Supplies Dealers (10.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Merchandise Retailers NAICS 455000 | 795,090 | 20.4% | $34,480 | $16.58 |
| Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers NAICS 458100 | 499,850 | 12.8% | $33,750 | $16.23 |
| Building Material and Supplies Dealers NAICS 444100 | 400,160 | 10.3% | $37,420 | $17.99 |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers NAICS 459100 | 235,950 | 6.1% | $34,920 | $16.79 |
| Automobile Dealers NAICS 441100 | 225,610 | 5.8% | $44,680 | $21.48 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (3,897,860). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $29,120 for retail salespersons in May 2021 and $35,410 in May 2025, with employment of 3,693,490 and 3,897,860.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $29,120 | $14.00 | 3,693,490 |
| May 2022 | $30,600 | $14.71 | 3,640,040 |
| May 2023 | $33,680 | $16.19 | 3,684,740 |
| May 2024 | $34,580 | $16.62 | 3,800,250 |
| May 2025 | $35,410 | $17.03 | 3,897,860 |
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 | Washington profile | $19.02 | $39,560 | $35,860 | $54,660 | 84,850 | 23.89 | 0.95 |
| 2 | District of Columbia profile | $18.51 | $38,500 | $36,400 | $49,530 | 4,660 | 6.64 | 0.26 |
| 3 | California profile | $18.48 | $38,440 | $35,240 | $54,310 | 376,460 | 20.67 | 0.82 |
| 4 | Colorado profile | $18.25 | $37,950 | $32,130 | $49,660 | 76,660 | 26.67 | 1.06 |
| 5 | Hawaii profile | $18.17 | $37,790 | $30,660 | $49,230 | 19,180 | 30.57 | 1.22 |
| 6 | New York profile | $18.13 | $37,720 | $33,650 | $58,630 | 238,540 | 24.62 | 0.98 |
| 7 | Vermont profile | $17.98 | $37,400 | $31,060 | $55,700 | 8,250 | 27.14 | 1.08 |
| 8 | Alaska profile | $17.93 | $37,290 | $30,700 | $51,200 | 7,890 | 24.23 | 0.97 |
| 9 | Oregon profile | $17.68 | $36,770 | $31,720 | $49,090 | 48,090 | 24.45 | 0.98 |
| 10 | Maine profile | $17.61 | $36,640 | $31,300 | $49,500 | 18,450 | 28.80 | 1.15 |
| 11 | Massachusetts profile | $17.60 | $36,610 | $33,310 | $47,980 | 86,860 | 23.88 | 0.95 |
| 12 | New Jersey profile | $17.56 | $36,520 | $32,220 | $60,210 | 72,530 | 16.92 | 0.68 |
| 13 | Connecticut profile | $17.54 | $36,490 | $34,150 | $49,850 | 42,410 | 25.01 | 1.00 |
| 14 | Minnesota profile | $17.49 | $36,370 | $28,710 | $48,080 | 74,840 | 25.37 | 1.01 |
| 15 | Montana profile | $17.44 | $36,270 | $28,620 | $48,680 | 13,490 | 26.36 | 1.05 |
| 16 | New Hampshire profile | $17.41 | $36,200 | $29,590 | $49,710 | 23,880 | 34.95 | 1.39 |
| 17 | North Dakota profile | $17.33 | $36,040 | $28,140 | $49,820 | 11,320 | 26.36 | 1.05 |
| 18 | Arizona profile | $17.18 | $35,720 | $30,820 | $47,220 | 93,920 | 28.99 | 1.16 |
| 19 | Maryland profile | $17.07 | $35,510 | $31,200 | $46,130 | 79,320 | 28.71 | 1.15 |
| 20 | Illinois profile | $17.00 | $35,370 | $31,200 | $48,010 | 126,610 | 20.76 | 0.83 |
| 21 | Delaware profile | $17.00 | $35,360 | $31,200 | $47,420 | 13,400 | 27.63 | 1.10 |
| 22 | Idaho profile | $16.87 | $35,080 | $26,330 | $49,980 | 20,180 | 23.54 | 0.94 |
| 23 | Rhode Island profile | $16.76 | $34,860 | $31,200 | $47,060 | 12,830 | 25.60 | 1.02 |
| 24 | Michigan profile | $16.65 | $34,640 | $27,770 | $48,320 | 111,010 | 25.21 | 1.01 |
| 25 | Wisconsin profile | $16.58 | $34,480 | $27,300 | $47,870 | 67,640 | 23.00 | 0.92 |
| 26 | South Dakota profile | $16.52 | $34,370 | $28,190 | $61,720 | 14,180 | 31.01 | 1.24 |
| 27 | Wyoming profile | $16.50 | $34,310 | $24,750 | $54,310 | 8,770 | 31.25 | 1.25 |
| 28 | Virginia profile | $16.46 | $34,240 | $27,540 | $46,590 | 100,290 | 24.41 | 0.97 |
| 29 | Nevada profile | $16.44 | $34,190 | $26,930 | $47,270 | 43,920 | 28.31 | 1.13 |
| 30 | Florida profile | $16.35 | $34,010 | $28,330 | $46,130 | 333,460 | 33.58 | 1.34 |
| 31 | Utah profile | $16.30 | $33,900 | $26,410 | $49,090 | 47,570 | 27.41 | 1.09 |
| 32 | Missouri profile | $16.09 | $33,460 | $28,600 | $46,610 | 67,140 | 22.87 | 0.91 |
| 33 | New Mexico profile | $16.01 | $33,300 | $27,870 | $45,370 | 23,800 | 27.33 | 1.09 |
| 34 | Kansas profile | $15.47 | $32,180 | $23,100 | $46,730 | 33,360 | 23.21 | 0.93 |
| 35 | Tennessee profile | $15.36 | $31,950 | $23,720 | $47,720 | 87,380 | 26.65 | 1.06 |
| 36 | Nebraska profile | $15.32 | $31,870 | $28,080 | $46,380 | 22,780 | 22.24 | 0.89 |
| 37 | Indiana profile | $15.16 | $31,530 | $23,420 | $46,900 | 83,670 | 26.14 | 1.04 |
| 38 | North Carolina profile | $15.08 | $31,370 | $23,040 | $46,070 | 127,540 | 25.81 | 1.03 |
| 39 | Iowa profile | $15.08 | $31,360 | $25,220 | $45,900 | 41,000 | 26.29 | 1.05 |
| 40 | Pennsylvania profile | $15.00 | $31,200 | $23,770 | $46,130 | 141,790 | 23.38 | 0.93 |
| 41 | Georgia profile | $14.83 | $30,840 | $22,590 | $46,430 | 143,120 | 29.27 | 1.17 |
| 42 | Ohio profile | $14.81 | $30,800 | $24,210 | $46,020 | 137,370 | 24.75 | 0.99 |
| 43 | Texas profile | $14.81 | $30,800 | $23,330 | $45,080 | 341,640 | 24.28 | 0.97 |
| 44 | South Carolina profile | $14.75 | $30,690 | $22,330 | $45,510 | 67,310 | 29.20 | 1.16 |
| 45 | Alabama profile | $14.44 | $30,040 | $22,670 | $45,310 | 60,880 | 28.81 | 1.15 |
| 46 | Oklahoma profile | $14.26 | $29,660 | $22,370 | $45,080 | 43,830 | 25.67 | 1.02 |
| 47 | Kentucky profile | $14.26 | $29,650 | $22,400 | $43,850 | 51,250 | 25.62 | 1.02 |
| 48 | Louisiana profile | $14.18 | $29,490 | $21,940 | $45,280 | 49,570 | 25.62 | 1.02 |
| 49 | Arkansas profile | $14.07 | $29,270 | $23,830 | $39,790 | 35,510 | 27.24 | 1.09 |
| 50 | West Virginia profile | $13.92 | $28,950 | $22,260 | $39,520 | 19,050 | 27.15 | 1.08 |
| 51 | Mississippi profile | $13.77 | $28,640 | $22,120 | $41,990 | 38,400 | 33.02 | 1.32 |
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 41-2031 Retail Salespersons.
- 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 41-2031, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 41-2031.00, 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.