Retail Salespersons Salary in New York
The median for retail salespersons in New York is $37,720 a year, somewhat above the national $35,410 (+7%); the state ranks 6th of 51 states by median. That is 37% less than the median across all occupations in New York ($59,670). New York pays more than every neighbouring state: Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania range from $31,200 in Pennsylvania to $37,400 in Vermont. New York employs 238,540 retail salespersons, 24.6 per 1,000 jobs, the 4th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.98 is close to the national share.
New York vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| 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 | ||||
| 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
- 6th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 4th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.98
- Jobs per 1,000
- 24.62
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of New York'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 New York
13 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching New York 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $18.40 | $38,280 | $34,680 | $60,940 | 202,080 | 21.29 | 0.85 |
| Kingston, NY | $17.56 | $36,530 | $33,210 | $50,590 | 1,860 | 31.54 | 1.26 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $17.39 | $36,160 | $33,970 | $49,250 | 9,890 | 36.75 | 1.47 |
| Ithaca, NY | $17.07 | $35,510 | $32,240 | $47,610 | 1,170 | 24.41 | 0.97 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $17.03 | $35,420 | $32,240 | $50,070 | 11,930 | 26.55 | 1.06 |
| Syracuse, NY | $16.95 | $35,250 | $32,240 | $50,340 | 8,150 | 27.16 | 1.08 |
| Glens Falls, NY | $16.86 | $35,070 | $32,240 | $51,100 | 1,780 | 35.45 | 1.41 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $16.78 | $34,910 | $32,240 | $49,940 | 15,160 | 28.36 | 1.13 |
| Rochester, NY | $16.66 | $34,650 | $32,240 | $49,910 | 12,440 | 25.16 | 1.00 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | $16.60 | $34,530 | $32,240 | $47,490 | 3,010 | 25.46 | 1.02 |
| Binghamton, NY | $16.57 | $34,460 | $32,240 | $48,100 | 2,540 | 26.18 | 1.04 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | $16.48 | $34,280 | $32,240 | $48,930 | 1,490 | 37.86 | 1.51 |
| Elmira, NY | $16.42 | $34,140 | $32,240 | $47,920 | 1,180 | 35.07 | 1.40 |
| Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area | $16.96 | $35,270 | $32,240 | $48,400 | 4,260 | 30.59 | 1.22 |
| Central East New York nonmetropolitan area | $16.91 | $35,170 | $32,240 | $48,440 | 4,210 | 26.48 | 1.06 |
| Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area | $16.85 | $35,040 | $32,240 | $47,920 | 5,240 | 29.55 | 1.18 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $18.13 | $37,720 | 238,540 | 0.98 |
| Connecticut | $17.54 | $36,490 | 42,410 | 1.00 |
| Massachusetts | $17.60 | $36,610 | 86,860 | 0.95 |
| New Jersey | $17.56 | $36,520 | 72,530 | 0.68 |
| Pennsylvania | $15.00 | $31,200 | 141,790 | 0.93 |
| Vermont | $17.98 | $37,400 | 8,250 | 1.08 |
See the national page for Retail Salespersons (every state ranked) and the New York 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 New York 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.