Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020
41-2031 Retail Salespersons
Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers. Excludes "Cashiers" (41-2011).
National estimates for Retail Salespersons
Industry profile for Retail Salespersons
Geographic profile for Retail Salespersons
National estimates for Retail Salespersons:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Retail Salespersons:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 3,659,670 |
0.6 % |
$ 14.87 |
$ 30,940 |
0.2 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Retail Salespersons:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 9.49 |
$ 11.01 |
$ 13.02 |
$ 15.86 |
$ 21.43 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 19,740 |
$ 22,900 |
$ 27,080 |
$ 32,990 |
$ 44,570 |
Industry profile for Retail Salespersons:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Retail Salespersons are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Retail Salespersons, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Retail Salespersons:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| General Merchandise Stores |
753,430 |
25.16 |
$ 13.01 |
$ 27,050 |
| Clothing Stores |
446,800 |
64.88 |
$ 13.79 |
$ 28,680 |
| Building Material and Supplies Dealers |
436,470 |
37.74 |
$ 15.47 |
$ 32,180 |
| Automobile Dealers |
239,930 |
20.03 |
$ 21.84 |
$ 45,420 |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores |
224,170 |
55.38 |
$ 13.21 |
$ 27,490 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Retail Salespersons:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Shoe Stores |
106,980 |
72.29 |
$ 13.46 |
$ 28,000 |
| Clothing Stores |
446,800 |
64.88 |
$ 13.79 |
$ 28,680 |
| Jewelry, Luggage, and Leather Goods Stores |
61,080 |
60.19 |
$ 16.15 |
$ 33,580 |
| Book Stores and News Dealers |
32,230 |
57.76 |
$ 12.46 |
$ 25,910 |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores |
224,170 |
55.38 |
$ 13.21 |
$ 27,490 |
Top paying industries for Retail Salespersons:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services |
810 |
0.04 |
$ 25.07 |
$ 52,150 |
| Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
4,980 |
1.47 |
$ 23.82 |
$ 49,540 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) |
140 |
0.02 |
$ 23.55 |
$ 48,990 |
| Building Equipment Contractors |
2,030 |
0.09 |
$ 22.44 |
$ 46,670 |
| Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing |
1,720 |
0.88 |
$ 22.31 |
$ 46,400 |
Geographic profile for Retail Salespersons:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Retail Salespersons are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Retail Salespersons, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Retail Salespersons:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Texas |
337,770 |
27.91 |
1.06 |
$ 13.72 |
$ 28,530 |
| California |
331,020 |
20.15 |
0.77 |
$ 17.00 |
$ 35,370 |
| Florida |
286,100 |
33.89 |
1.29 |
$ 14.00 |
$ 29,120 |
| New York |
219,620 |
25.27 |
0.96 |
$ 16.94 |
$ 35,230 |
| Pennsylvania |
131,580 |
23.87 |
0.91 |
$ 14.22 |
$ 29,580 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Retail Salespersons:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Hawaii |
20,500 |
35.71 |
1.36 |
$ 16.96 |
$ 35,280 |
| Florida |
286,100 |
33.89 |
1.29 |
$ 14.00 |
$ 29,120 |
| South Carolina |
65,580 |
32.54 |
1.24 |
$ 13.53 |
$ 28,130 |
| New Hampshire |
20,070 |
32.41 |
1.23 |
$ 15.12 |
$ 31,450 |
| Alabama |
61,150 |
32.13 |
1.22 |
$ 13.38 |
$ 27,830 |
Top paying states for Retail Salespersons:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| District of Columbia |
5,150 |
7.50 |
0.29 |
$ 18.11 |
$ 37,680 |
| Washington |
92,650 |
29.00 |
1.10 |
$ 17.71 |
$ 36,840 |
| California |
331,020 |
20.15 |
0.77 |
$ 17.00 |
$ 35,370 |
| Hawaii |
20,500 |
35.71 |
1.36 |
$ 16.96 |
$ 35,280 |
| New York |
219,620 |
25.27 |
0.96 |
$ 16.94 |
$ 35,230 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Retail Salespersons:
| 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 |
219,790 |
24.88 |
0.95 |
$ 17.06 |
$ 35,490 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
117,060 |
20.10 |
0.76 |
$ 17.09 |
$ 35,540 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
101,460 |
28.27 |
1.07 |
$ 14.22 |
$ 29,580 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
98,000 |
22.47 |
0.85 |
$ 14.74 |
$ 30,670 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
84,730 |
33.79 |
1.28 |
$ 14.10 |
$ 29,330 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
75,650 |
25.48 |
0.97 |
$ 13.06 |
$ 27,170 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
73,240 |
27.82 |
1.06 |
$ 13.86 |
$ 28,830 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
60,820 |
22.55 |
0.86 |
$ 15.36 |
$ 31,940 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
57,660 |
19.08 |
0.73 |
$ 15.08 |
$ 31,360 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ |
56,470 |
26.78 |
1.02 |
$ 15.31 |
$ 31,840 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Retail Salespersons:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL |
4,890 |
66.85 |
2.54 |
$ 14.40 |
$ 29,940 |
| Punta Gorda, FL |
2,670 |
57.72 |
2.19 |
$ 14.83 |
$ 30,850 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC |
4,270 |
57.51 |
2.19 |
$ 15.41 |
$ 32,040 |
| Saginaw, MI |
4,280 |
56.48 |
2.15 |
$ 15.11 |
$ 31,430 |
| Dothan, AL |
3,100 |
55.10 |
2.09 |
$ 13.95 |
$ 29,020 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV |
1,850 |
54.36 |
2.07 |
$ 11.55 |
$ 24,020 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC |
8,280 |
53.57 |
2.04 |
$ 13.28 |
$ 27,620 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL |
5,630 |
51.57 |
1.96 |
$ 13.99 |
$ 29,100 |
| Hot Springs, AR |
1,820 |
51.26 |
1.95 |
$ 13.38 |
$ 27,820 |
| Elmira, NY |
1,610 |
50.68 |
1.93 |
$ 14.68 |
$ 30,530 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Retail Salespersons:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
16,300 |
14.77 |
0.56 |
$ 20.75 |
$ 43,160 |
| Carson City, NV |
850 |
29.24 |
1.11 |
$ 19.24 |
$ 40,030 |
| Santa Rosa, CA |
5,040 |
25.98 |
0.99 |
$ 18.83 |
$ 39,160 |
| Napa, CA |
1,880 |
27.15 |
1.03 |
$ 18.80 |
$ 39,110 |
| Grand Island, NE |
1,070 |
27.41 |
1.04 |
$ 18.63 |
$ 38,750 |
| Yakima, WA |
2,800 |
31.07 |
1.18 |
$ 18.53 |
$ 38,540 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
51,040 |
26.09 |
0.99 |
$ 18.51 |
$ 38,500 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA |
2,270 |
24.98 |
0.95 |
$ 18.46 |
$ 38,390 |
| Grants Pass, OR |
770 |
29.47 |
1.12 |
$ 18.23 |
$ 37,920 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX |
5,820 |
38.08 |
1.45 |
$ 18.22 |
$ 37,900 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Retail Salespersons:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Kansas nonmetropolitan area |
8,790 |
23.23 |
0.88 |
$ 14.31 |
$ 29,750 |
| Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area |
8,090 |
32.87 |
1.25 |
$ 13.60 |
$ 28,290 |
| North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area |
8,060 |
29.97 |
1.14 |
$ 13.52 |
$ 28,120 |
| Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area |
7,110 |
28.93 |
1.10 |
$ 13.42 |
$ 27,900 |
| North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) |
6,900 |
22.11 |
0.84 |
$ 14.32 |
$ 29,790 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Retail Salespersons:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area |
5,710 |
45.52 |
1.73 |
$ 13.01 |
$ 27,050 |
| Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area |
3,060 |
44.78 |
1.70 |
$ 14.18 |
$ 29,490 |
| Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area |
1,450 |
44.15 |
1.68 |
$ 13.67 |
$ 28,440 |
| Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area |
3,980 |
42.08 |
1.60 |
$ 16.55 |
$ 34,420 |
| West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area |
5,070 |
40.87 |
1.55 |
$ 12.16 |
$ 25,280 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Retail Salespersons:
About May 2020 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 OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021
United States Department of Labor
