Retail Salespersons Salary in California
The median for retail salespersons in California is $38,440 a year, somewhat above the national $35,410 (+9%); the state ranks 3rd of 51 states by median. That is 34% less than the median across all occupations in California ($58,240). California pays more than every neighbouring state: Oregon, Arizona and Nevada range from $34,190 in Nevada to $36,770 in Oregon. California employs 376,460 retail salespersons, 20.7 per 1,000 jobs, the 1st largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.82 is close to the national share.
California vs the United States, May 2025
| 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 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 3rd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 1st of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.82
- Jobs per 1,000
- 20.67
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of California's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in California
25 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching California publish a row for retail salespersons, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $21.26 | $44,220 | $39,300 | $58,300 | 18,340 | 16.16 | 0.64 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $21.08 | $43,850 | $38,270 | $58,960 | 39,460 | 16.62 | 0.66 |
| Napa, CA | $19.61 | $40,780 | $36,790 | $59,060 | 2,150 | 27.65 | 1.10 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $19.02 | $39,570 | $37,110 | $55,260 | 5,720 | 27.87 | 1.11 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $18.57 | $38,620 | $36,040 | $49,020 | 2,430 | 24.64 | 0.98 |
| Vallejo, CA | $18.47 | $38,420 | $36,240 | $51,340 | 4,110 | 28.50 | 1.14 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $18.32 | $38,100 | $35,560 | $49,570 | 22,970 | 21.25 | 0.85 |
| Salinas, CA | $18.26 | $37,970 | $35,420 | $49,460 | 4,110 | 22.07 | 0.88 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $18.22 | $37,900 | $34,800 | $46,130 | 920 | 18.86 | 0.75 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $18.18 | $37,810 | $35,470 | $49,320 | 34,390 | 22.36 | 0.89 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $18.16 | $37,780 | $35,250 | $49,300 | 3,390 | 27.77 | 1.11 |
| Merced, CA | $18.14 | $37,740 | $34,320 | $48,060 | 1,480 | 18.66 | 0.74 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $18.13 | $37,700 | $35,760 | $54,650 | 130,650 | 20.83 | 0.83 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $18.11 | $37,660 | $34,680 | $48,840 | 5,680 | 19.62 | 0.78 |
| Modesto, CA | $18.00 | $37,430 | $35,170 | $49,260 | 5,140 | 26.35 | 1.05 |
| Yuba City, CA | $17.94 | $37,310 | $34,750 | $50,390 | 1,080 | 21.06 | 0.84 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $17.89 | $37,200 | $35,170 | $49,480 | 4,490 | 22.39 | 0.89 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $17.73 | $36,880 | $35,080 | $48,910 | 8,270 | 25.54 | 1.02 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $17.66 | $36,720 | $34,430 | $48,110 | 41,270 | 24.04 | 0.96 |
| Chico, CA | $17.63 | $36,680 | $34,320 | $48,190 | 2,010 | 25.69 | 1.02 |
| Fresno, CA | $17.53 | $36,460 | $34,320 | $47,810 | 9,290 | 19.47 | 0.78 |
| Redding, CA | $17.53 | $36,450 | $34,320 | $47,980 | 1,880 | 26.32 | 1.05 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $17.46 | $36,320 | $34,320 | $47,670 | 6,050 | 17.89 | 0.71 |
| Visalia, CA | $17.30 | $35,990 | $34,320 | $47,140 | 3,920 | 22.88 | 0.91 |
| El Centro, CA | $17.06 | $35,490 | $34,320 | $45,430 | 1,900 | 28.98 | 1.16 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $18.70 | $38,900 | $36,010 | $54,960 | 1,980 | 18.97 | 0.76 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $18.52 | $38,520 | $35,540 | $49,650 | 2,580 | 23.56 | 0.94 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $18.27 | $38,000 | $35,690 | $50,780 | 1,370 | 21.75 | 0.87 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Retail Salespersons (every state ranked) and the California wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS California estimates.
- 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.