Retail Salespersons pay in the United States

Goes furthest in North Dakota
·Sales·
3.9M jobs
Figures from US Bureau of Labor StatisticsOccupational Employment and Wage Statistics
$17.03/hr median
3,897,860 employed
-0% to 2035
48% AI exposure
No formal educational credential
54 states reported
and more...

What this work is

Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers.

Where the money actually goes furthest

Washington pays the highest headline figure at $39,560. Adjusted for what things cost there it is worth $36,968 — less than North Dakota, where $36,040 is worth $40,512.

Pay by state

54 states and territories publish a median for this occupation. Switch the ranking to see how much the order changes.

Adjusted for what things cost in that state.

Median pay for Retail Salespersons by state, ranked by what it is worth locally
StateHourlyAnnualWorth locallyAfter state taxJobs
North Dakota$17.33/hr$36,040$40,512$36,04011,320
South Dakota$16.52/hr$34,370$38,796$34,37014,180
Montana$17.44/hr$36,270$38,320$35,24413,490
Vermont$17.98/hr$37,400$38,178$36,3818,250
Maine$17.61/hr$36,640$37,753$35,36118,450
Wyoming$16.50/hr$34,310$37,015$34,3108,770
Washington$19.02/hr$39,560$36,968$39,56084,850
Minnesota$17.49/hr$36,370$36,878$35,20374,840
Missouri$16.09/hr$33,460$36,842$32,74467,140
Colorado$18.25/hr$37,950$36,826$36,95776,660
Idaho$16.87/hr$35,080$36,736$33,99420,180
Wisconsin$16.58/hr$34,480$36,641$33,67767,640
Alaska$17.93/hr$37,290$36,430$37,2907,890
New Mexico$16.01/hr$33,300$36,113$32,75123,800
Michigan$16.65/hr$34,640$36,000$33,405111,010
Iowa$15.08/hr$31,360$35,733$30,72341,000
Kansas$15.47/hr$32,180$35,727$30,67233,360
Oregon$17.68/hr$36,770$35,574$34,09348,090
Arizona$17.18/hr$35,720$35,478$35,19293,920
Delaware$17.00/hr$35,360$35,427$33,96413,400
Illinois$17.00/hr$35,370$35,384$33,756126,610
Nebraska$15.32/hr$31,870$35,371$31,08522,780
Connecticut$17.54/hr$36,490$35,218$35,09742,410
District of Columbia$18.51/hr$38,500$35,031$37,2664,660
New York$18.13/hr$37,720$34,951$36,250238,540
Tennessee$15.36/hr$31,950$34,777$31,95087,380
New Hampshire$17.41/hr$36,200$34,750$36,20023,880
California$18.48/hr$38,440$34,718$37,741376,460
Massachusetts$17.60/hr$36,610$34,616$34,77986,860
Hawaii$18.17/hr$37,790$34,370$36,29219,180
Utah$16.30/hr$33,900$34,290$32,35747,570
Nevada$16.44/hr$34,190$34,196$34,19043,920
Rhode Island$16.76/hr$34,860$34,082$33,94812,830
Virginia$16.46/hr$34,240$33,867$33,017100,290
Maryland$17.07/hr$35,510$33,831$34,00479,320
Alabama$14.44/hr$30,040$33,821$28,72860,880
Indiana$15.16/hr$31,530$33,783$30,61483,670
Oklahoma$14.26/hr$29,660$33,765$28,74143,830
Arkansas$14.07/hr$29,270$33,666$28,30535,510
New Jersey$17.56/hr$36,520$33,563$35,92472,530
Louisiana$14.18/hr$29,490$33,431$28,98049,570
North Carolina$15.08/hr$31,370$33,255$30,578127,540
Ohio$14.81/hr$30,800$33,200$30,669137,370
Mississippi$13.77/hr$28,640$32,938$27,48138,400
Florida$16.35/hr$34,010$32,888$34,010333,460
Kentucky$14.26/hr$29,650$32,885$28,59051,250
South Carolina$14.75/hr$30,690$32,736$30,31467,310
West Virginia$13.92/hr$28,950$32,346$28,15219,050
Georgia$14.83/hr$30,840$32,028$29,862143,120
Pennsylvania$15.00/hr$31,200$31,977$30,242141,790
Texas$14.81/hr$30,800$31,732$30,800341,640
Virgin Islands$13.84/hr$28,790Not publishedNot published1,300
Guam$11.54/hr$24,000Not publishedNot published1,540
Puerto Rico$10.85/hr$22,560Not publishedNot published41,230

National median for comparison: $35,410. “Worth locally” divides pay by the area’s price level, so a figure above the headline means money goes further there than the US average.

$35,410/year

$17.03/hr an hour, national median

Across the states

$21,840$45,710

25th to 75th percentile, lowest and highest state

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How much of this job could software do?

48%Moderate exposure
Hands, places, peopleLanguage and information

Both methods agree closely.

Method 1 — ability mix50%

Cognitive share of O*NET ability importance (element families 1.A.1–1.A.4), O*NET 31.0

Method 2 — task content47%

Importance-weighted share of O*NET tasks classed as language or information work, O*NET 31.0

What this does and does not mean

Exposure means a model could plausibly do a meaningful share of the tasks in this job. It is not a forecast that the job disappears, and it says nothing about whether any employer will actually automate it.

For what the labour market expects, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in this occupation to change by -0% between 2025 and 2035, with about 520,600 openings a year.

Which parts are exposed

  • Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs.
  • Recommend, select, and help locate or obtain merchandise based on customer needs and desires.
  • Maintain records related to sales.
  • Compute sales prices, total purchases, and receive and process cash or credit payment.
  • Prepare merchandise for purchase or rental.
  • Answer questions regarding the store and its merchandise.

Amber marks language and information work. Green marks tasks that need a person in a place.

Where retail salespersons move next

Occupations that share most of this one’s skills, with the pay difference and the change in AI exposure.

Location

San Diego, CA, United States of America (SAN-San Diego Intl.)

Photograph by Tom Tillhub.