Retail Salesperson Salary by State
How much retail salespersons earn in each state. SOC code 41-2031 (Retail Salespersons). Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025.
- National median wage$35,410Half earn more, half less
- National mean wage$37,310Average of all workers
- Median hourly wage$17.03Mean $17.94/hour
- U.S. employment3,897,860Wage & salary jobs
- Top-paying stateWashington$43,530 mean
- States with data51 / 51Others not published by BLS
How much do retail salespersons make?
Nationally, retail salespersons earn a median of $35,410 a year and a mean of $37,310 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle half of the occupation earns between $29,900 (25th percentile) and $38,670 (75th percentile); the bottom 10% earn under $27,210 and the top 10% more than $47,890.
That median is 0.7× the median for all U.S. occupations ($50,980).
By state, the mean wage ranges from $43,530 in Washington (highest) to $31,150 in Mississippi (lowest). After adjusting the median for each state’s price level, North Dakota comes out on top at $40,494 in national-average dollars.
National pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $27,210 | $2,268 | $13.08 |
| 25th | $29,900 | $2,492 | $14.38 |
| Median | $35,410 | $2,951 | $17.03 |
| 75th | $38,670 | $3,222 | $18.59 |
| 90th | $47,890 | $3,991 | $23.02 |
| Mean | $37,310 | $3,109 | $17.94 |
25th and 75th percentile hourly figures are annual ÷ 2,080 hours.
Retail Salesperson salary in every state
Click a column heading to sort. Adjusted median = median × 100 ÷ BEA regional price parity (2024).
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | Median hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Adjusted median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $43,530 | $39,560 | $19.02 | $35,860 | $54,660 | $36,972 | 84,850 |
| California | $42,950 | $38,440 | $18.48 | $35,240 | $54,310 | $34,724 | 376,460 |
| New York | $42,580 | $37,720 | $18.13 | $33,650 | $58,630 | $34,958 | 238,540 |
| Vermont | $42,450 | $37,400 | $17.98 | $31,060 | $55,700 | $38,163 | 8,250 |
| District of Columbia | $42,380 | $38,500 | $18.51 | $36,400 | $49,530 | $35,032 | 4,660 |
| New Jersey | $41,870 | $36,520 | $17.56 | $32,220 | $60,210 | $33,566 | 72,530 |
| Colorado | $41,540 | $37,950 | $18.25 | $32,130 | $49,660 | $36,809 | 76,660 |
| Connecticut | $40,610 | $36,490 | $17.54 | $34,150 | $49,850 | $35,222 | 42,410 |
| Hawaii | $40,520 | $37,790 | $18.17 | $30,660 | $49,230 | $34,355 | 19,180 |
| Oregon | $40,360 | $36,770 | $17.68 | $31,720 | $49,090 | $35,561 | 48,090 |
| Maine | $40,050 | $36,640 | $17.61 | $31,300 | $49,500 | $37,773 | 18,450 |
| Massachusetts | $39,970 | $36,610 | $17.60 | $33,310 | $47,980 | $34,603 | 86,860 |
| Alaska | $39,890 | $37,290 | $17.93 | $30,700 | $51,200 | $36,416 | 7,890 |
| South Dakota | $39,720 | $34,370 | $16.52 | $28,190 | $61,720 | $38,792 | 14,180 |
| New Hampshire | $39,240 | $36,200 | $17.41 | $29,590 | $49,710 | $34,741 | 23,880 |
| Illinois | $38,680 | $35,370 | $17.00 | $31,200 | $48,010 | $35,370 | 126,610 |
| North Dakota | $38,530 | $36,040 | $17.33 | $28,140 | $49,820 | $40,494 | 11,320 |
| Minnesota | $38,380 | $36,370 | $17.49 | $28,710 | $48,080 | $36,886 | 74,840 |
| Arizona | $38,190 | $35,720 | $17.18 | $30,820 | $47,220 | $35,472 | 93,920 |
| Montana | $38,170 | $36,270 | $17.44 | $28,620 | $48,680 | $38,340 | 13,490 |
| Maryland | $37,950 | $35,510 | $17.07 | $31,200 | $46,130 | $33,819 | 79,320 |
| Michigan | $37,830 | $34,640 | $16.65 | $27,770 | $48,320 | $36,008 | 111,010 |
| Rhode Island | $37,570 | $34,860 | $16.76 | $31,200 | $47,060 | $34,076 | 12,830 |
| Delaware | $37,390 | $35,360 | $17.00 | $31,200 | $47,420 | $35,431 | 13,400 |
| Idaho | $37,340 | $35,080 | $16.87 | $26,330 | $49,980 | $36,733 | 20,180 |
| Wyoming | $37,070 | $34,310 | $16.50 | $24,750 | $54,310 | $37,012 | 8,770 |
| Utah | $36,740 | $33,900 | $16.30 | $26,410 | $49,090 | $34,277 | 47,570 |
| Wisconsin | $36,400 | $34,480 | $16.58 | $27,300 | $47,870 | $36,642 | 67,640 |
| Nevada | $36,320 | $34,190 | $16.44 | $26,930 | $47,270 | $34,190 | 43,920 |
| Missouri | $36,310 | $33,460 | $16.09 | $28,600 | $46,610 | $36,850 | 67,140 |
| Virginia | $36,290 | $34,240 | $16.46 | $27,540 | $46,590 | $33,867 | 100,290 |
| Florida | $36,000 | $34,010 | $16.35 | $28,330 | $46,130 | $32,892 | 333,460 |
| New Mexico | $35,500 | $33,300 | $16.01 | $27,870 | $45,370 | $36,117 | 23,800 |
| Nebraska | $35,220 | $31,870 | $15.32 | $28,080 | $46,380 | $35,372 | 22,780 |
| Indiana | $35,200 | $31,530 | $15.16 | $23,420 | $46,900 | $33,794 | 83,670 |
| Tennessee | $35,010 | $31,950 | $15.36 | $23,720 | $47,720 | $34,766 | 87,380 |
| Kansas | $34,970 | $32,180 | $15.47 | $23,100 | $46,730 | $35,716 | 33,360 |
| Ohio | $34,580 | $30,800 | $14.81 | $24,210 | $46,020 | $33,190 | 137,370 |
| Pennsylvania | $34,530 | $31,200 | $15.00 | $23,770 | $46,130 | $31,967 | 141,790 |
| Iowa | $34,480 | $31,360 | $15.08 | $25,220 | $45,900 | $35,718 | 41,000 |
| North Carolina | $34,230 | $31,370 | $15.08 | $23,040 | $46,070 | $33,266 | 127,540 |
| Texas | $34,050 | $30,800 | $14.81 | $23,330 | $45,080 | $31,720 | 341,640 |
| Georgia | $33,980 | $30,840 | $14.83 | $22,590 | $46,430 | $32,025 | 143,120 |
| South Carolina | $33,790 | $30,690 | $14.75 | $22,330 | $45,510 | $32,753 | 67,310 |
| Alabama | $33,340 | $30,040 | $14.44 | $22,670 | $45,310 | $33,829 | 60,880 |
| Oklahoma | $33,060 | $29,660 | $14.26 | $22,370 | $45,080 | $33,781 | 43,830 |
| Kentucky | $32,570 | $29,650 | $14.26 | $22,400 | $43,850 | $32,871 | 51,250 |
| Louisiana | $32,510 | $29,490 | $14.18 | $21,940 | $45,280 | $33,435 | 49,570 |
| Arkansas | $32,350 | $29,270 | $14.07 | $23,830 | $39,790 | $33,682 | 35,510 |
| West Virginia | $31,230 | $28,950 | $13.92 | $22,260 | $39,520 | $32,346 | 19,050 |
| Mississippi | $31,150 | $28,640 | $13.77 | $22,120 | $41,990 | $32,920 | 38,400 |
Highest median pay
- Washington — $39,560
- District of Columbia — $38,500
- California — $38,440
- Colorado — $37,950
- Hawaii — $37,790
Lowest median pay
- Mississippi — $28,640
- West Virginia — $28,950
- Arkansas — $29,270
- Louisiana — $29,490
- Kentucky — $29,650
Best pay after cost of living
- North Dakota — $40,494
- South Dakota — $38,792
- Montana — $38,340
- Vermont — $38,163
- Maine — $37,773
The most retail salespersons work in California (376,460 jobs), Texas and Florida.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a retail salesperson make?
The national median wage for retail salespersons is $35,410 a year and the mean is $37,310, according to BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
Which state pays retail salespersons the most?
Washington has the highest mean wage for retail salespersons at $43,530.
Which state pays retail salespersons the least?
Mississippi has the lowest mean wage for retail salespersons among states with published data, at $31,150.
Where do retail salespersons earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state’s median wage by its BEA price level, North Dakota ranks first at $40,494 in national-average dollars, followed by South Dakota and Montana.