Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
SHARE ON:
Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
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) |
| 3,693,490 |
0.3 % |
$ 15.35 |
$ 31,920 |
0.2 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Retail Salespersons:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 10.50 |
$ 11.30 |
$ 14.00 |
$ 16.88 |
$ 21.85 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 21,840 |
$ 23,500 |
$ 29,120 |
$ 35,110 |
$ 45,460 |
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 |
708,760 |
22.98 |
$ 13.88 |
$ 28,870 |
| Clothing Stores |
474,450 |
62.40 |
$ 13.20 |
$ 27,450 |
| Building Material and Supplies Dealers |
462,020 |
37.04 |
$ 15.86 |
$ 32,980 |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores |
250,720 |
54.67 |
$ 13.93 |
$ 28,960 |
| Automobile Dealers |
233,420 |
19.13 |
$ 24.62 |
$ 51,210 |
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 |
115,260 |
70.23 |
$ 12.83 |
$ 26,690 |
| Clothing Stores |
474,450 |
62.40 |
$ 13.20 |
$ 27,450 |
| Jewelry, Luggage, and Leather Goods Stores |
58,650 |
54.86 |
$ 16.98 |
$ 35,320 |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores |
250,720 |
54.67 |
$ 13.93 |
$ 28,960 |
| Book Stores and News Dealers |
29,480 |
54.30 |
$ 12.62 |
$ 26,250 |
Top paying industries for Retail Salespersons:
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) |
| California |
344,380 |
20.83 |
0.79 |
$ 17.46 |
$ 36,310 |
| Texas |
321,980 |
26.34 |
1.00 |
$ 14.54 |
$ 30,230 |
| Florida |
293,350 |
34.09 |
1.30 |
$ 14.35 |
$ 29,850 |
| New York |
220,930 |
25.48 |
0.97 |
$ 17.58 |
$ 36,560 |
| Illinois |
132,650 |
23.61 |
0.90 |
$ 15.53 |
$ 32,310 |
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) |
| Florida |
293,350 |
34.09 |
1.30 |
$ 14.35 |
$ 29,850 |
| New Hampshire |
20,480 |
32.24 |
1.23 |
$ 16.07 |
$ 33,420 |
| South Carolina |
66,110 |
31.98 |
1.22 |
$ 12.99 |
$ 27,020 |
| Mississippi |
35,100 |
31.86 |
1.22 |
$ 13.23 |
$ 27,510 |
| South Dakota |
13,280 |
31.54 |
1.20 |
$ 16.04 |
$ 33,360 |
Top paying states for Retail Salespersons:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Washington |
89,010 |
27.76 |
1.06 |
$ 17.89 |
$ 37,210 |
| New York |
220,930 |
25.48 |
0.97 |
$ 17.58 |
$ 36,560 |
| California |
344,380 |
20.83 |
0.79 |
$ 17.46 |
$ 36,310 |
| Alaska |
7,450 |
25.19 |
0.96 |
$ 17.44 |
$ 36,270 |
| District of Columbia |
4,150 |
6.27 |
0.24 |
$ 17.36 |
$ 36,120 |
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 |
222,410 |
25.63 |
0.98 |
$ 17.86 |
$ 37,140 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
120,220 |
21.02 |
0.80 |
$ 17.29 |
$ 35,970 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
103,040 |
24.34 |
0.93 |
$ 15.83 |
$ 32,930 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
96,580 |
26.91 |
1.03 |
$ 14.95 |
$ 31,100 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
85,870 |
35.02 |
1.34 |
$ 14.62 |
$ 30,410 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
77,830 |
30.07 |
1.15 |
$ 14.14 |
$ 29,410 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
70,670 |
24.39 |
0.93 |
$ 15.04 |
$ 31,290 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
65,340 |
24.61 |
0.94 |
$ 15.45 |
$ 32,130 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
62,510 |
21.32 |
0.81 |
$ 16.37 |
$ 34,060 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
59,730 |
23.11 |
0.88 |
$ 17.42 |
$ 36,240 |
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 |
4,330 |
58.20 |
2.22 |
$ 12.88 |
$ 26,800 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC |
8,980 |
55.35 |
2.11 |
$ 12.52 |
$ 26,050 |
| Punta Gorda, FL |
2,370 |
48.39 |
1.85 |
$ 14.12 |
$ 29,380 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV |
1,660 |
47.81 |
1.82 |
$ 12.56 |
$ 26,130 |
| Jacksonville, NC |
2,220 |
46.20 |
1.76 |
$ 13.08 |
$ 27,200 |
| Sebring, FL |
1,140 |
44.75 |
1.71 |
$ 13.25 |
$ 27,560 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL |
5,020 |
43.93 |
1.68 |
$ 14.01 |
$ 29,140 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL |
2,290 |
43.92 |
1.68 |
$ 12.30 |
$ 25,590 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC |
3,280 |
43.76 |
1.67 |
$ 13.61 |
$ 28,310 |
| Dothan, AL |
2,470 |
43.71 |
1.67 |
$ 11.98 |
$ 24,920 |
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 Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
38,200 |
17.04 |
0.65 |
$ 19.78 |
$ 41,150 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
16,630 |
15.56 |
0.59 |
$ 19.79 |
$ 41,150 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
47,710 |
24.88 |
0.95 |
$ 18.65 |
$ 38,790 |
| Napa, CA |
1,470 |
21.37 |
0.81 |
$ 18.55 |
$ 38,580 |
| Santa Rosa, CA |
4,900 |
25.52 |
0.97 |
$ 18.54 |
$ 38,560 |
| Carson City, NV |
750 |
25.17 |
0.96 |
$ 18.28 |
$ 38,020 |
| Boulder, CO |
4,950 |
27.20 |
1.04 |
$ 17.87 |
$ 37,170 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
222,410 |
25.63 |
0.98 |
$ 17.86 |
$ 37,140 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA |
1,950 |
41.40 |
1.58 |
$ 17.67 |
$ 36,760 |
| Olympia-Tumwater, WA |
3,460 |
30.84 |
1.18 |
$ 17.63 |
$ 36,670 |
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 |
7,640 |
20.34 |
0.78 |
$ 14.04 |
$ 29,200 |
| North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) |
7,210 |
22.94 |
0.88 |
$ 14.14 |
$ 29,420 |
| Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area |
6,770 |
30.52 |
1.16 |
$ 12.55 |
$ 26,110 |
| North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area |
6,570 |
24.70 |
0.94 |
$ 13.55 |
$ 28,180 |
| Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area |
6,410 |
26.26 |
1.00 |
$ 13.74 |
$ 28,580 |
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) |
| Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area |
1,410 |
41.73 |
1.59 |
$ 15.04 |
$ 31,280 |
| Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area |
3,980 |
40.27 |
1.54 |
$ 16.03 |
$ 33,350 |
| East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area |
5,320 |
39.96 |
1.52 |
$ 12.56 |
$ 26,130 |
| Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area |
4,620 |
39.61 |
1.51 |
$ 16.31 |
$ 33,930 |
| South Florida nonmetropolitan area |
2,860 |
37.74 |
1.44 |
$ 14.04 |
$ 29,210 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Retail Salespersons:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area |
1,110 |
18.17 |
0.69 |
$ 17.69 |
$ 36,790 |
| Alaska nonmetropolitan area |
1,640 |
16.82 |
0.64 |
$ 17.65 |
$ 36,710 |
| Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area |
2,010 |
34.72 |
1.32 |
$ 17.35 |
$ 36,080 |
| Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area |
1,760 |
26.88 |
1.03 |
$ 17.28 |
$ 35,930 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area |
2,720 |
27.17 |
1.04 |
$ 17.24 |
$ 35,850 |
About May 2021 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.
(8) Estimate not released.
(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 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
