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How Much Does a Retail Salesperson Make?
A retail salesperson in the US earns a median salary of $35,410 a year, or $17.03 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $37,310, and the middle half earn between $29,900 and $38,670.
Retail salesperson pay range
What retail salespersons earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.
| Percentile | A year | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest 10%) | $27,210 | $13.08 | |
| 25th | $29,900 | $14.38 | |
| Median (50th) | $35,410 | $17.03 | |
| 75th | $38,670 | $18.59 | |
| 90th (top 10%) | $47,890 | $23.02 |
The median is 31% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 3,897,860 people work as retail salespersons in the US.
After tax and by period
- A week
- $681
- Every two weeks
- $1,362
- Twice a month
- $1,475
- A month
- $2,951
At the median salary, before tax.
Retail salesperson salary by state
Sorted by average pay. Washington pays retail salespersons the most, at $43,530 a year on average.
| State | Average | Median | Jobs | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $43,530 | $39,560 | 84,850 | After tax |
| California | $42,950 | $38,440 | 376,460 | After tax |
| New York | $42,580 | $37,720 | 238,540 | After tax |
| Vermont | $42,450 | $37,400 | 8,250 | After tax |
| District of Columbia | $42,380 | $38,500 | 4,660 | After tax |
| New Jersey | $41,870 | $36,520 | 72,530 | After tax |
| Colorado | $41,540 | $37,950 | 76,660 | After tax |
| Connecticut | $40,610 | $36,490 | 42,410 | After tax |
| Hawaii | $40,520 | $37,790 | 19,180 | After tax |
| Oregon | $40,360 | $36,770 | 48,090 | After tax |
| Maine | $40,050 | $36,640 | 18,450 | After tax |
| Massachusetts | $39,970 | $36,610 | 86,860 | After tax |
| Alaska | $39,890 | $37,290 | 7,890 | After tax |
| South Dakota | $39,720 | $34,370 | 14,180 | After tax |
| New Hampshire | $39,240 | $36,200 | 23,880 | After tax |
| Illinois | $38,680 | $35,370 | 126,610 | After tax |
| North Dakota | $38,530 | $36,040 | 11,320 | After tax |
| Minnesota | $38,380 | $36,370 | 74,840 | After tax |
| Arizona | $38,190 | $35,720 | 93,920 | After tax |
| Montana | $38,170 | $36,270 | 13,490 | After tax |
| Maryland | $37,950 | $35,510 | 79,320 | After tax |
| Michigan | $37,830 | $34,640 | 111,010 | After tax |
| Rhode Island | $37,570 | $34,860 | 12,830 | After tax |
| Delaware | $37,390 | $35,360 | 13,400 | After tax |
| Idaho | $37,340 | $35,080 | 20,180 | After tax |
| Wyoming | $37,070 | $34,310 | 8,770 | After tax |
| Utah | $36,740 | $33,900 | 47,570 | After tax |
| Wisconsin | $36,400 | $34,480 | 67,640 | After tax |
| Nevada | $36,320 | $34,190 | 43,920 | After tax |
| Missouri | $36,310 | $33,460 | 67,140 | After tax |
| Virginia | $36,290 | $34,240 | 100,290 | After tax |
| Florida | $36,000 | $34,010 | 333,460 | After tax |
| New Mexico | $35,500 | $33,300 | 23,800 | After tax |
| Nebraska | $35,220 | $31,870 | 22,780 | After tax |
| Indiana | $35,200 | $31,530 | 83,670 | After tax |
| Tennessee | $35,010 | $31,950 | 87,380 | After tax |
| Kansas | $34,970 | $32,180 | 33,360 | After tax |
| Ohio | $34,580 | $30,800 | 137,370 | After tax |
| Pennsylvania | $34,530 | $31,200 | 141,790 | After tax |
| Iowa | $34,480 | $31,360 | 41,000 | After tax |
| North Carolina | $34,230 | $31,370 | 127,540 | After tax |
| Texas | $34,050 | $30,800 | 341,640 | After tax |
| Georgia | $33,980 | $30,840 | 143,120 | After tax |
| South Carolina | $33,790 | $30,690 | 67,310 | After tax |
| Alabama | $33,340 | $30,040 | 60,880 | After tax |
| Oklahoma | $33,060 | $29,660 | 43,830 | After tax |
| Virgin Islands | $32,590 | $28,790 | 1,300 | |
| Kentucky | $32,570 | $29,650 | 51,250 | After tax |
| Louisiana | $32,510 | $29,490 | 49,570 | After tax |
| Arkansas | $32,350 | $29,270 | 35,510 | After tax |
| West Virginia | $31,230 | $28,950 | 19,050 | After tax |
| Mississippi | $31,150 | $28,640 | 38,400 | After tax |
| Guam | $27,230 | $24,000 | 1,540 | |
| Puerto Rico | $26,240 | $22,560 | 41,230 |
A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.
Other sales jobs
- Cashier $32,880 median
- Sales representative of services $69,990 median
- Sales representative, wholesale and manufacturing $72,080 median
- First-line supervisor of retail sales workers $48,520 median
- Security, commodity, and financial services sales agent $78,660 median
- Insurance sales agent $62,280 median
- Counter and rental clerk $41,300 median
- Sales representative, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific product $104,920 median
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Retail Salespersons” (SOC 41-2031). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries
About the Job Salaries
Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.
How to use it
- 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
- 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
- 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
- 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a retail salesperson make an hour?
The median hourly wage for a retail salesperson is $17.03, and the average is $17.94. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $13.08 an hour and the top 10% over $23.02.
How much does a retail salesperson make a month?
At the median salary of $35,410, a retail salesperson earns about $2,951 a month before tax, or $1,362 every two weeks.
Which state pays retail salespersons the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for a retail salesperson, at $43,530 a year. Next are California and New York. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.
What is the starting salary for a retail salesperson?
The lowest-paid 10% of retail salespersons earn less than $27,210 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $29,900. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.
How much do the highest-paid retail salespersons make?
The top 10% earn more than $47,890 a year, and the top 25% more than $38,670.
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