Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019
41-2031 Retail Salespersons
Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers. Excludes “Cashiers” (41-2011).
National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation
National estimates for this occupation:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 4,317,950 |
0.5 % |
$14.12 |
$29,360 |
0.2 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$9.09 |
$10.47 |
$12.14 |
$15.13 |
$20.57 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$18,900 |
$21,780 |
$25,250 |
$31,480 |
$42,780 |
Industry profile for this occupation:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| General Merchandise Stores |
840,890 |
26.87 |
$12.38 |
$25,740 |
| Clothing Stores |
695,590 |
67.52 |
$13.07 |
$27,190 |
| Building Material and Supplies Dealers |
440,750 |
38.44 |
$14.97 |
$31,130 |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores |
269,760 |
55.50 |
$12.55 |
$26,110 |
| Automobile Dealers |
266,310 |
20.55 |
$21.28 |
$44,270 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Shoe Stores |
145,420 |
71.37 |
$12.63 |
$26,260 |
| Clothing Stores |
695,590 |
67.52 |
$13.07 |
$27,190 |
| Jewelry, Luggage, and Leather Goods Stores |
80,530 |
60.50 |
$15.32 |
$31,850 |
| Book Stores and News Dealers |
44,340 |
57.61 |
$11.93 |
$24,810 |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores |
269,760 |
55.50 |
$12.55 |
$26,110 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing |
50 |
0.01 |
$23.75 |
$49,390 |
| Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
5,070 |
1.44 |
$22.61 |
$47,030 |
| Building Finishing Contractors |
1,700 |
0.20 |
$21.41 |
$44,540 |
| Automobile Dealers |
266,310 |
20.55 |
$21.28 |
$44,270 |
| Building Equipment Contractors |
2,150 |
0.10 |
$21.23 |
$44,150 |
Geographic profile for this occupation:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
418,900 |
24.10 |
0.82 |
$15.79 |
$32,850 |
| Texas |
383,920 |
30.88 |
1.05 |
$13.29 |
$27,640 |
| Florida |
325,640 |
37.03 |
1.26 |
$13.35 |
$27,760 |
| New York |
288,630 |
30.31 |
1.03 |
$15.53 |
$32,310 |
| Pennsylvania |
159,180 |
26.97 |
0.92 |
$13.80 |
$28,710 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Hawaii |
24,940 |
39.24 |
1.33 |
$15.93 |
$33,130 |
| Florida |
325,640 |
37.03 |
1.26 |
$13.35 |
$27,760 |
| New Hampshire |
24,400 |
36.94 |
1.26 |
$14.24 |
$29,620 |
| South Dakota |
15,260 |
35.89 |
1.22 |
$14.72 |
$30,620 |
| South Carolina |
71,670 |
34.00 |
1.16 |
$13.07 |
$27,180 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| District of Columbia |
6,620 |
9.16 |
0.31 |
$17.56 |
$36,520 |
| Washington |
106,070 |
31.96 |
1.09 |
$17.08 |
$35,520 |
| Connecticut |
41,900 |
25.16 |
0.86 |
$16.46 |
$34,230 |
| North Dakota |
12,540 |
29.68 |
1.01 |
$16.11 |
$33,520 |
| Hawaii |
24,940 |
39.24 |
1.33 |
$15.93 |
$33,130 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
290,640 |
30.10 |
1.02 |
$15.53 |
$32,300 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
149,070 |
23.89 |
0.81 |
$15.86 |
$33,000 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
125,620 |
26.86 |
0.91 |
$13.94 |
$28,990 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
115,960 |
31.71 |
1.08 |
$13.68 |
$28,460 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
100,750 |
38.13 |
1.30 |
$13.40 |
$27,870 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
87,880 |
28.79 |
0.98 |
$12.51 |
$26,020 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
85,990 |
31.34 |
1.07 |
$13.02 |
$27,080 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
75,850 |
26.37 |
0.90 |
$14.81 |
$30,810 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
72,710 |
25.99 |
0.88 |
$15.18 |
$31,580 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
68,870 |
21.66 |
0.74 |
$14.65 |
$30,480 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL |
5,030 |
67.51 |
2.30 |
$13.61 |
$28,320 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC |
10,450 |
62.45 |
2.12 |
$12.81 |
$26,650 |
| Punta Gorda, FL |
2,760 |
57.31 |
1.95 |
$14.64 |
$30,460 |
| Saginaw, MI |
4,890 |
57.21 |
1.95 |
$13.54 |
$28,160 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV |
2,120 |
56.60 |
1.93 |
$11.32 |
$23,550 |
| Elmira, NY |
1,900 |
55.17 |
1.88 |
$13.85 |
$28,800 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL |
6,210 |
55.15 |
1.88 |
$13.68 |
$28,460 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC |
4,270 |
54.28 |
1.85 |
$15.63 |
$32,520 |
| Santa Fe, NM |
3,270 |
52.64 |
1.79 |
$15.09 |
$31,380 |
| East Stroudsburg, PA |
2,980 |
52.43 |
1.78 |
$12.59 |
$26,200 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT |
11,120 |
26.87 |
0.91 |
$18.89 |
$39,300 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
22,650 |
19.86 |
0.68 |
$18.46 |
$38,400 |
| Napa, CA |
1,930 |
25.02 |
0.85 |
$18.31 |
$38,090 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
59,680 |
29.53 |
1.00 |
$18.24 |
$37,950 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX |
6,160 |
38.30 |
1.30 |
$18.00 |
$37,440 |
| Danbury, CT |
3,150 |
40.66 |
1.38 |
$17.93 |
$37,290 |
| Bismarck, ND |
2,710 |
38.36 |
1.30 |
$17.89 |
$37,210 |
| Carson City, NV |
960 |
32.66 |
1.11 |
$17.62 |
$36,640 |
| Grants Pass, OR |
680 |
25.74 |
0.88 |
$17.37 |
$36,140 |
| Wenatchee, WA |
1,970 |
40.99 |
1.39 |
$17.08 |
$35,520 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Kansas nonmetropolitan area |
9,500 |
24.11 |
0.82 |
$13.27 |
$27,600 |
| North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area |
8,900 |
32.18 |
1.09 |
$13.13 |
$27,310 |
| Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area |
8,560 |
31.35 |
1.07 |
$13.42 |
$27,920 |
| North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) |
7,480 |
22.38 |
0.76 |
$14.28 |
$29,700 |
| Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area |
7,290 |
28.03 |
0.95 |
$13.12 |
$27,290 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area |
2,040 |
55.87 |
1.90 |
$12.83 |
$26,680 |
| Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area |
3,520 |
46.84 |
1.59 |
$13.10 |
$27,260 |
| Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area |
5,410 |
43.71 |
1.49 |
$14.13 |
$29,390 |
| Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area |
4,280 |
43.18 |
1.47 |
$15.81 |
$32,880 |
| East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area |
5,610 |
41.57 |
1.41 |
$12.23 |
$25,440 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2019 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020
United States Department of Labor
