Retail Salespersons Salary in Washington
The median for retail salespersons in Washington is $39,560 a year, somewhat above the national $35,410 (+12%); the state ranks 1st of 51 states by median. That is 37% less than the median across all occupations in Washington ($62,990). Washington pays more than every neighbouring state: Oregon and Idaho range from $35,080 in Idaho to $36,770 in Oregon. Washington employs 84,850 retail salespersons, 23.9 per 1,000 jobs, the 15th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.95 is close to the national share.
Washington vs the United States, May 2025
| 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 | ||||
| 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
- 1st of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 15th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.95
- Jobs per 1,000
- 23.89
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Washington'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 Washington
13 metropolitan areas and 2 nonmetropolitan areas touching Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $20.23 | $42,080 | $37,000 | $56,960 | 46,620 | 22.35 | 0.89 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $18.86 | $39,240 | $35,850 | $57,430 | 1,730 | 32.96 | 1.31 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $18.60 | $38,680 | $35,020 | $51,470 | 1,120 | 27.24 | 1.09 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $18.50 | $38,470 | $36,070 | $50,250 | 2,770 | 29.53 | 1.18 |
| Bellingham, WA | $18.19 | $37,840 | $35,470 | $50,660 | 2,830 | 30.92 | 1.23 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $18.13 | $37,700 | $34,850 | $49,100 | 1,620 | 31.70 | 1.26 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $18.08 | $37,600 | $35,510 | $50,710 | 3,580 | 27.68 | 1.10 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $17.96 | $37,350 | $34,970 | $48,000 | 3,180 | 24.39 | 0.97 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $17.95 | $37,340 | $34,650 | $50,190 | 28,230 | 23.36 | 0.93 |
| Lewiston, ID-WA | $17.79 | $37,010 | $27,860 | $57,250 | 680 | 23.70 | 0.95 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $17.73 | $36,880 | $34,650 | $48,210 | 7,400 | 28.93 | 1.15 |
| Yakima, WA | $17.61 | $36,640 | $34,820 | $48,320 | 2,680 | 27.66 | 1.10 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $17.61 | $36,620 | $34,650 | $49,280 | 640 | 24.54 | 0.98 |
| Western Washington nonmetropolitan area | $18.44 | $38,350 | $35,350 | $50,580 | 3,580 | 27.59 | 1.10 |
| Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area | $18.41 | $38,290 | $35,340 | $50,360 | 1,990 | 18.31 | 0.73 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Retail Salespersons (every state ranked) and the Washington 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 Washington 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.