Retail Salespersons Salary in Virginia
Retail Salespersons in Virginia have a median of $34,240 a year, below the national $35,410 (−3%); the state ranks 28th of 51 states by median. That is 39% less than the median across all occupations in Virginia ($55,690). Among neighbouring states, District of Columbia and Maryland pay more (up to $38,500 in District of Columbia) and Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky and West Virginia pay less (down to $28,950 in West Virginia). Virginia employs 100,290 retail salespersons, 24.4 per 1,000 jobs, the 11th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.97 is close to the national share.
Virginia vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Virginia | Hourly | $13.24 | $14.00 | $16.46 | $17.94 | $22.40 | $17.45 | 100,290 | 24.41 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $27,540 | $29,120 | $34,240 | $37,300 | $46,590 | $36,290 | ||||
| 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
- 28th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 11th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.97
- Jobs per 1,000
- 24.41
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Virginia'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 Virginia
11 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Virginia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $17.60 | $36,610 | $30,640 | $47,800 | 66,920 | 21.34 | 0.85 |
| Charlottesville, VA | $16.45 | $34,210 | $28,090 | $46,560 | 2,540 | 22.17 | 0.88 |
| Richmond, VA | $16.14 | $33,580 | $27,830 | $45,900 | 16,210 | 24.55 | 0.98 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | $16.08 | $33,440 | $27,640 | $48,880 | 1,520 | 29.42 | 1.17 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | $16.04 | $33,350 | $27,200 | $44,070 | 1,980 | 30.23 | 1.21 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | $15.28 | $31,780 | $26,920 | $45,400 | 1,690 | 22.78 | 0.91 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $15.00 | $31,200 | $24,250 | $45,850 | 3,620 | 30.25 | 1.21 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $14.82 | $30,820 | $26,960 | $44,570 | 20,890 | 27.38 | 1.09 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | $14.80 | $30,780 | $26,700 | $44,980 | 2,290 | 33.78 | 1.35 |
| Lynchburg, VA | $14.70 | $30,570 | $26,350 | $42,990 | 2,950 | 30.37 | 1.21 |
| Roanoke, VA | $14.64 | $30,440 | $26,540 | $44,460 | 4,230 | 27.46 | 1.10 |
| Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $16.32 | $33,950 | $27,680 | $46,540 | 1,320 | 20.28 | 0.81 |
| Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $15.54 | $32,310 | $27,130 | $43,340 | 1,170 | 20.25 | 0.81 |
| Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $15.48 | $32,210 | $27,110 | $44,090 | 2,610 | 25.30 | 1.01 |
| Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $15.13 | $31,470 | $26,830 | $42,560 | 2,650 | 22.76 | 0.91 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $16.46 | $34,240 | 100,290 | 0.97 |
| District of Columbia | $18.51 | $38,500 | 4,660 | 0.26 |
| Kentucky | $14.26 | $29,650 | 51,250 | 1.02 |
| Maryland | $17.07 | $35,510 | 79,320 | 1.15 |
| North Carolina | $15.08 | $31,370 | 127,540 | 1.03 |
| Tennessee | $15.36 | $31,950 | 87,380 | 1.06 |
| West Virginia | $13.92 | $28,950 | 19,050 | 1.08 |
See the national page for Retail Salespersons (every state ranked) and the Virginia 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 Virginia 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.