State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Retail Salesperson Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Retail Salespersons is $35,410 a year ($17.03/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to fall 0.5% through 2034, with about 555,800 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
SOC 41-2031Sales and RelatedLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $35,410
- Projected growth
- -0.5%
- Openings a year
- 555,800
- Typical education
- No formal credential
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Car Salesman, Customer Assistant, Retail Salesperson, Sales Associate, Sales Clerk, Sales Consultant.
How much do Retail Salespersons make?
10th percentile$27,210
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$29,900
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$35,410
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$38,670
Upper quartile
90th percentile$47,890
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $35,410 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $17.03/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $37,310 |
| People employed | 3,897,860 |
Versus all US occupations
At $35,410, Retail Salespersons earn 31% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $15,570 a year.
Versus sales and related occupations
Inside the Sales and Related group, where the middle occupation pays $51,495, this is 31% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $47,890 or more while the bottom 10% earn $27,210, a gap of 1.8×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 3% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Washington posts the highest raw median ($39,560), but once local prices are taken into account North Dakota leads at $40,513 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Retail Salespersons the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $39,560 | $36,967 | 84,850 |
| District of Columbia | $38,500 | $35,032 | 4,660 |
| California | $38,440 | $34,718 | 376,460 |
| Colorado | $37,950 | $36,826 | 76,660 |
| Hawaii | $37,790 | $34,370 | 19,180 |
| New York | $37,720 | $34,951 | 238,540 |
| Vermont | $37,400 | $38,180 | 8,250 |
| Alaska | $37,290 | $36,431 | 7,890 |
| Oregon | $36,770 | $35,574 | 48,090 |
| Maine | $36,640 | $37,754 | 18,450 |
Is Retail Salesperson a growing career?
Retail Salespersons-0.5%
All US occupations3.1%
-0.5% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Retail Salespersons to change -0.5% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 19,600 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 555,800 openings are projected each year, 14.1% of the 3,936,700 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of retail sales workers is projected to decline 0 percent from 2024 to 2034.
Despite declining employment, about 586,000 openings for retail sales workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
The increase in online sales is expected to continue over the projections decade, limiting growth in the number of physical retail stores and reducing demand for retail sales workers.
How to become a Retail Salesperson
Retail sales workers typically do not need formal education to enter the occupation. However, some employers prefer to hire candidates who have a high school diploma or the equivalent. Most retail sales workers learn on the job.
| Typical entry-level education | No formal educational credential |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as retail salespersons.
- High School Diploma63.5%
- Less than a High School Diploma19.3%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)9.8%
- Bachelor's Degree4.0%
- Post-Secondary Certificate2.0%
What does a Retail Salesperson do?
Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers.
Retail sales workers sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel, to customers. They also sell spare and replacement parts and equipment.
Day-to-day tasks
- Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs.
- Describe merchandise and explain use, operation, and care of merchandise to customers.
- Maintain knowledge of current sales and promotions, policies regarding payment and exchanges, and security practices.
- Recommend, select, and help locate or obtain merchandise based on customer needs and desires.
- Answer questions regarding the store and its merchandise.
- Ticket, arrange, and display merchandise to promote sales.
- Place special orders or call other stores to find desired items.
- Watch for and recognize security risks and thefts and know how to prevent or handle these situations.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where retail salespersons work
| Automotive parts, accessories, and tire retailers | 44% |
|---|---|
| Automobile dealers | 22% |
| Wholesale trade | 19% |
| Repair and maintenance | 4% |
| Other motor vehicle dealers | 4% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening3.8/5
- Speaking3.8/5
- Critical Thinking3.1/5
- Reading Comprehension3.0/5
- Writing3.0/5
- Active Learning3.0/5
- Monitoring3.0/5
- Mathematics2.6/5
Transferable skills
- Persuasion3.9/5
- Service Orientation3.8/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.5/5
- Negotiation3.5/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Instructing2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9/5
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Internet browser software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Retail Salesperson?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary3.2
Investigative1.0
Artistic2.0
Social3.0
Enterprisingprimary6.1
Conventionalprimary5.2
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Retail Salesperson: frequently asked questions
How much do Retail Salespersons make?
Retail Salespersons earn a median of $35,410 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 31% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $17.03/hr. The middle half earn between $29,900 and $38,670. The top 10% earn $47,890 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Retail Salesperson?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Retail Salespersons, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 63.5% hold high school diploma.
Is Retail Salesperson a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 0.5% over 2024–2034, a loss of 19,600 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 555,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Retail Salesperson do?
Retail sales workers sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel, to customers. A core O*NET task: greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Computer aided design CAD software, Customer relationship management CRM software.
Which states pay Retail Salespersons the most?
The highest state medians for Retail Salespersons are Washington ($39,560), District of Columbia ($38,500), California ($38,440) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, North Dakota moves to the top at $40,513.
What personality type suits a Retail Salesperson?
O*NET scores Retail Salespersons highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ESFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.