Retail Salespersons Salary in Pennsylvania
Retail Salespersons in Pennsylvania have a median of $31,200 a year, below the national $35,410 (−12%); the state ranks 40th of 51 states by median. That is 37% less than the median across all occupations in Pennsylvania ($49,690). Among neighbouring states, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware pay more (up to $37,720 in New York) and Ohio and West Virginia pay less (down to $28,950 in West Virginia). Pennsylvania employs 141,790 retail salespersons, 23.4 per 1,000 jobs, the 6th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.93 is close to the national share.
Pennsylvania vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $11.43 | $13.38 | $15.00 | $17.65 | $22.18 | $16.60 | 141,790 | 23.38 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $23,770 | $27,820 | $31,200 | $36,700 | $46,130 | $34,530 | ||||
| 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
- 40th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 6th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.93
- Jobs per 1,000
- 23.38
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania
16 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Pennsylvania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $16.74 | $34,810 | $27,760 | $48,000 | 63,990 | 22.08 | 0.88 |
| Reading, PA | $15.87 | $33,010 | $23,580 | $46,250 | 4,430 | 25.34 | 1.01 |
| Lebanon, PA | $15.84 | $32,960 | $26,330 | $47,660 | 1,420 | 26.44 | 1.05 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $15.53 | $32,310 | $25,300 | $47,580 | 9,060 | 24.02 | 0.96 |
| Chambersburg, PA | $14.95 | $31,090 | $23,380 | $45,370 | 1,630 | 27.11 | 1.08 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $14.83 | $30,840 | $23,670 | $45,990 | 28,700 | 25.75 | 1.03 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $14.66 | $30,500 | $23,100 | $45,550 | 7,640 | 22.79 | 0.91 |
| York-Hanover, PA | $14.65 | $30,480 | $24,380 | $43,960 | 4,680 | 25.51 | 1.02 |
| Williamsport, PA | $14.63 | $30,430 | $22,430 | $44,320 | 1,300 | 26.28 | 1.05 |
| Lancaster, PA | $14.56 | $30,280 | $23,610 | $46,590 | 7,400 | 29.35 | 1.17 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $14.43 | $30,020 | $22,620 | $45,390 | 6,330 | 24.78 | 0.99 |
| State College, PA | $14.06 | $29,240 | $23,310 | $38,890 | 1,710 | 24.90 | 0.99 |
| Erie, PA | $13.76 | $28,610 | $22,560 | $43,560 | 3,340 | 27.72 | 1.11 |
| Gettysburg, PA | $13.70 | $28,500 | $22,970 | $39,120 | 860 | 26.87 | 1.07 |
| Altoona, PA | $13.64 | $28,370 | $22,870 | $44,440 | 2,090 | 35.56 | 1.42 |
| Johnstown, PA | $13.44 | $27,960 | $21,300 | $41,080 | 1,370 | 28.70 | 1.15 |
| Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $14.50 | $30,160 | $22,670 | $45,400 | 3,400 | 22.79 | 0.91 |
| Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $14.47 | $30,100 | $22,750 | $45,270 | 3,480 | 24.81 | 0.99 |
| Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $14.40 | $29,950 | $22,830 | $45,470 | 4,330 | 23.05 | 0.92 |
| Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $14.24 | $29,610 | $22,800 | $42,450 | 4,100 | 31.70 | 1.26 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $15.00 | $31,200 | 141,790 | 0.93 |
| Delaware | $17.00 | $35,360 | 13,400 | 1.10 |
| Maryland | $17.07 | $35,510 | 79,320 | 1.15 |
| New Jersey | $17.56 | $36,520 | 72,530 | 0.68 |
| New York | $18.13 | $37,720 | 238,540 | 0.98 |
| Ohio | $14.81 | $30,800 | 137,370 | 0.99 |
| West Virginia | $13.92 | $28,950 | 19,050 | 1.08 |
See the national page for Retail Salespersons (every state ranked) and the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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.