occupation · 41-2031 · detailed
Retail Salespersons — wages and employment
Retail Salespersons earned a median annual wage of $34,580 in the United States in May 2024, with 3,800,250 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Retail Salespersons earned a median annual wage of $34,580 in the United States in May 2024, with 3,800,250 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $25,600 or less, the best-paid tenth $47,930 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $33,680 to $34,580, +2.7 %. The best-paying state is Washington at $38,350; the lowest Puerto Rico at $21,360. Among metropolitan areas, Napa, CA pays the highest median, $44,680. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 3,800,250 | $34,580 | $37,150 | $25,600 | $29,140 | $37,850 | $47,930 | $16.62 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 3,684,740 | $33,680 | $36,690 | $23,740 | $28,600 | $37,390 | $48,110 | $16.19 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $38,350 | 86,050 |
| District of Columbia | $37,800 | 4,470 |
| California | $37,250 | 352,860 |
| New York | $37,020 | 233,740 |
| Colorado | $36,960 | 74,640 |
| Alaska | $36,940 | 7,790 |
| Vermont | $36,810 | 7,930 |
| Maine | $36,460 | 17,210 |
| Massachusetts | $36,320 | 86,410 |
| Oregon | $36,140 | 47,930 |
| Hawaii | $36,050 | 18,140 |
| North Dakota | $35,670 | 10,450 |
| New Jersey | $35,630 | 87,760 |
| New Hampshire | $35,440 | 20,460 |
| Connecticut | $35,350 | 41,890 |
| Arizona | $35,320 | 88,490 |
| Minnesota | $35,310 | 69,640 |
| Montana | $35,000 | 13,500 |
| Rhode Island | $34,860 | 11,460 |
| Illinois | $34,490 | 132,880 |
| Maryland | $34,310 | 72,010 |
| Utah | $34,300 | 39,580 |
| South Dakota | $34,260 | 13,070 |
| Delaware | $34,200 | 13,470 |
| Wisconsin | $33,640 | 67,610 |
| Nevada | $33,430 | 41,880 |
| Idaho | $33,400 | 20,670 |
| Michigan | $33,340 | 111,210 |
| Virginia | $32,760 | 101,260 |
| Florida | $31,950 | 325,960 |
| Kansas | $31,670 | 30,390 |
| Wyoming | $31,450 | 9,190 |
| New Mexico | $31,360 | 23,260 |
| Missouri | $31,250 | 63,100 |
| Tennessee | $30,770 | 85,810 |
| Ohio | $30,440 | 127,070 |
| Pennsylvania | $30,410 | 143,460 |
| Nebraska | $30,350 | 22,820 |
| Indiana | $30,300 | 82,400 |
| Texas | $30,130 | 329,520 |
| North Carolina | $30,090 | 126,060 |
| Iowa | $30,030 | 37,600 |
| Georgia | $29,770 | 142,520 |
| Oklahoma | $29,580 | 41,590 |
| South Carolina | $29,450 | 69,010 |
| Kentucky | $29,450 | 47,680 |
| Alabama | $29,430 | 60,330 |
| Arkansas | $29,420 | 31,350 |
| Louisiana | $28,820 | 51,540 |
| Virgin Islands | $28,790 | 1,310 |
| West Virginia | $27,910 | 18,290 |
| Mississippi | $27,810 | 36,330 |
| Guam | $23,640 | 1,320 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,360 | 42,070 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Napa, CA | $44,680 | 2,140 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $43,040 | 17,420 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $42,490 | 37,380 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $39,180 | 48,310 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $38,760 | 5,120 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $37,740 | 2,350 |
| Boulder, CO | $37,720 | 5,000 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $37,700 | 1,700 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $37,510 | 3,190 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $37,500 | 39,120 |
| Vallejo, CA | $37,450 | 3,940 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $37,410 | 2,650 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $37,350 | 212,470 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $37,340 | 1,040 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $37,270 | 3,050 |
| Bozeman, MT | $37,220 | 2,240 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $37,150 | 22,240 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $37,050 | 1,060 |
| Bend, OR | $37,050 | 3,290 |
| Anchorage, AK | $36,980 | 4,700 |
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