Retail Salespersons Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for retail salespersonss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Washington$43,530
- California$42,950
- New York$42,580
- Vermont$42,450
- District of Columbia$42,380
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$31,150
- West Virginia$31,230
- Arkansas$32,350
- Louisiana$32,510
- Kentucky$32,570
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $43,530 | $39,560 | $21 | +16.7% | 84,850 |
| 2 | California | $42,950 | $38,440 | $21 | +15.1% | 376,460 |
| 3 | New York | $42,580 | $37,720 | $20 | +14.1% | 238,540 |
| 4 | Vermont | $42,450 | $37,400 | $20 | +13.8% | 8,250 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $42,380 | $38,500 | $20 | +13.6% | 4,660 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $41,870 | $36,520 | $20 | +12.2% | 72,530 |
| 7 | Colorado | $41,540 | $37,950 | $20 | +11.3% | 76,660 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $40,610 | $36,490 | $20 | +8.8% | 42,410 |
| 9 | Hawaii | $40,520 | $37,790 | $19 | +8.6% | 19,180 |
| 10 | Oregon | $40,360 | $36,770 | $19 | +8.2% | 48,090 |
| 11 | Maine | $40,050 | $36,640 | $19 | +7.3% | 18,450 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $39,970 | $36,610 | $19 | +7.1% | 86,860 |
| 13 | Alaska | $39,890 | $37,290 | $19 | +6.9% | 7,890 |
| 14 | South Dakota | $39,720 | $34,370 | $19 | +6.5% | 14,180 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $39,240 | $36,200 | $19 | +5.2% | 23,880 |
| 16 | Illinois | $38,680 | $35,370 | $19 | +3.7% | 126,610 |
| 17 | North Dakota | $38,530 | $36,040 | $19 | +3.3% | 11,320 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $38,380 | $36,370 | $18 | +2.9% | 74,840 |
| 19 | Arizona | $38,190 | $35,720 | $18 | +2.4% | 93,920 |
| 20 | Montana | $38,170 | $36,270 | $18 | +2.3% | 13,490 |
| 21 | Maryland | $37,950 | $35,510 | $18 | +1.7% | 79,320 |
| 22 | Michigan | $37,830 | $34,640 | $18 | +1.4% | 111,010 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $37,570 | $34,860 | $18 | +0.7% | 12,830 |
| 24 | Delaware | $37,390 | $35,360 | $18 | +0.2% | 13,400 |
| 25 | Idaho | $37,340 | $35,080 | $18 | +0.1% | 20,180 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $37,070 | $34,310 | $18 | -0.6% | 8,770 |
| 27 | Utah | $36,740 | $33,900 | $18 | -1.5% | 47,570 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $36,400 | $34,480 | $18 | -2.4% | 67,640 |
| 29 | Nevada | $36,320 | $34,190 | $17 | -2.7% | 43,920 |
| 30 | Missouri | $36,310 | $33,460 | $17 | -2.7% | 67,140 |
| 31 | Virginia | $36,290 | $34,240 | $17 | -2.7% | 100,290 |
| 32 | Florida | $36,000 | $34,010 | $17 | -3.5% | 333,460 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $35,500 | $33,300 | $17 | -4.9% | 23,800 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $35,220 | $31,870 | $17 | -5.6% | 22,780 |
| 35 | Indiana | $35,200 | $31,530 | $17 | -5.7% | 83,670 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $35,010 | $31,950 | $17 | -6.2% | 87,380 |
| 37 | Kansas | $34,970 | $32,180 | $17 | -6.3% | 33,360 |
| 38 | Ohio | $34,580 | $30,800 | $17 | -7.3% | 137,370 |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | $34,530 | $31,200 | $17 | -7.5% | 141,790 |
| 40 | Iowa | $34,480 | $31,360 | $17 | -7.6% | 41,000 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $34,230 | $31,370 | $16 | -8.3% | 127,540 |
| 42 | Texas | $34,050 | $30,800 | $16 | -8.7% | 341,640 |
| 43 | Georgia | $33,980 | $30,840 | $16 | -8.9% | 143,120 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $33,790 | $30,690 | $16 | -9.4% | 67,310 |
| 45 | Alabama | $33,340 | $30,040 | $16 | -10.6% | 60,880 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $33,060 | $29,660 | $16 | -11.4% | 43,830 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $32,570 | $29,650 | $16 | -12.7% | 51,250 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $32,510 | $29,490 | $16 | -12.9% | 49,570 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $32,350 | $29,270 | $16 | -13.3% | 35,510 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $31,230 | $28,950 | $15 | -16.3% | 19,050 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $31,150 | $28,640 | $15 | -16.5% | 38,400 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 521 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $44,220 | $47,420 | 18,340 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $43,850 | $47,290 | 39,460 |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $42,080 | $45,020 | 46,620 |
| 4 | Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | $40,870 | $44,470 | 4,600 |
| 5 | Napa, CA | $40,780 | $45,630 | 2,150 |
| 6 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $39,630 | $43,970 | 2,510 |
| 7 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $39,570 | $44,180 | 5,720 |
| 8 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $39,240 | $44,690 | 1,730 |
| 9 | North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $38,900 | $44,600 | 1,980 |
| 10 | Boulder, CO | $38,700 | $42,170 | 4,880 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing retail salespersonss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Painting and Wall Covering Contractors | $70,240 | $62,930 | — |
| 2 | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | $68,690 | $64,410 | 40 |
| 3 | Roofing Contractors | $65,190 | $57,180 | — |
| 4 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | $65,150 | $60,440 | 40 |
| 5 | Other Insurance Related Activities | $61,120 | $61,510 | 40 |
| 6 | Security Systems Services | $54,900 | $58,950 | 460 |
| 7 | Investigation and Security Services | $53,290 | $57,460 | 480 |
| 8 | Rubber Product Manufacturing | $53,160 | $51,610 | 50 |
| 9 | Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $52,040 | $53,450 | 2,380 |
| 10 | Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $51,940 | $52,640 | 3,820 |
| 11 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | $51,810 | $54,950 | 630 |
| 12 | Masonry Contractors | $51,650 | $52,040 | — |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do retail salespersons make in the U.S.?
The median retail salespersons salary in the United States is $35,410 per year (mean $37,310), and about 80% earn between $27,210 and $47,890.
How much do retail salespersons make per hour?
Roughly $18 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $37,310 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays retail salespersons the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for retail salespersons at $43,530 per year (median $39,560).
What is the job outlook for retail salespersons?
Employment is projected to change -0.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 555,800 openings per year.