Retail Sales Associate salary in the United States
Retail sales associates in the U.S. earned a median of $35,410 a year, or $17.03 an hour, in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The highest-paid 10% earned at least 1.8 times as much as the lowest-paid 10%.
Pay data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Job content: O*NET 31.0. Updated 2026-10-26.
- $35,410median annual wage
- $17.03median hourly wage
- $27,210 to $47,89010th to 90th percentile
- 3,897,860employed in the U.S.
Pay range
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $13.08 | $27,210 |
| 25th | $14.38 | $29,900 |
| Median (50th) | $17.03 | $35,410 |
| 75th | $18.59 | $38,670 |
| 90th | $23.02 | $47,890 |
| Mean | $17.94 | $37,310 |
Retail Sales Associate salary by state
Median wages and employment for every state where BLS published an estimate.
| State | Employed | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th to 90th percentile (annual) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 60,880 | $14.44 | $30,040 | $22,670 to $45,310 |
| Alaska | 7,890 | $17.93 | $37,290 | $30,700 to $51,200 |
| Arizona | 93,920 | $17.18 | $35,720 | $30,820 to $47,220 |
| Arkansas | 35,510 | $14.07 | $29,270 | $23,830 to $39,790 |
| California | 376,460 | $18.48 | $38,440 | $35,240 to $54,310 |
| Colorado | 76,660 | $18.25 | $37,950 | $32,130 to $49,660 |
| Connecticut | 42,410 | $17.54 | $36,490 | $34,150 to $49,850 |
| Delaware | 13,400 | $17.00 | $35,360 | $31,200 to $47,420 |
| District of Columbia | 4,660 | $18.51 | $38,500 | $36,400 to $49,530 |
| Florida | 333,460 | $16.35 | $34,010 | $28,330 to $46,130 |
| Georgia | 143,120 | $14.83 | $30,840 | $22,590 to $46,430 |
| Hawaii | 19,180 | $18.17 | $37,790 | $30,660 to $49,230 |
| Idaho | 20,180 | $16.87 | $35,080 | $26,330 to $49,980 |
| Illinois | 126,610 | $17.00 | $35,370 | $31,200 to $48,010 |
| Indiana | 83,670 | $15.16 | $31,530 | $23,420 to $46,900 |
| Iowa | 41,000 | $15.08 | $31,360 | $25,220 to $45,900 |
| Kansas | 33,360 | $15.47 | $32,180 | $23,100 to $46,730 |
| Kentucky | 51,250 | $14.26 | $29,650 | $22,400 to $43,850 |
| Louisiana | 49,570 | $14.18 | $29,490 | $21,940 to $45,280 |
| Maine | 18,450 | $17.61 | $36,640 | $31,300 to $49,500 |
| Maryland | 79,320 | $17.07 | $35,510 | $31,200 to $46,130 |
| Massachusetts | 86,860 | $17.60 | $36,610 | $33,310 to $47,980 |
| Michigan | 111,010 | $16.65 | $34,640 | $27,770 to $48,320 |
| Minnesota | 74,840 | $17.49 | $36,370 | $28,710 to $48,080 |
| Mississippi | 38,400 | $13.77 | $28,640 | $22,120 to $41,990 |
| Missouri | 67,140 | $16.09 | $33,460 | $28,600 to $46,610 |
| Montana | 13,490 | $17.44 | $36,270 | $28,620 to $48,680 |
| Nebraska | 22,780 | $15.32 | $31,870 | $28,080 to $46,380 |
| Nevada | 43,920 | $16.44 | $34,190 | $26,930 to $47,270 |
| New Hampshire | 23,880 | $17.41 | $36,200 | $29,590 to $49,710 |
| New Jersey | 72,530 | $17.56 | $36,520 | $32,220 to $60,210 |
| New Mexico | 23,800 | $16.01 | $33,300 | $27,870 to $45,370 |
| New York | 238,540 | $18.13 | $37,720 | $33,650 to $58,630 |
| North Carolina | 127,540 | $15.08 | $31,370 | $23,040 to $46,070 |
| North Dakota | 11,320 | $17.33 | $36,040 | $28,140 to $49,820 |
| Ohio | 137,370 | $14.81 | $30,800 | $24,210 to $46,020 |
| Oklahoma | 43,830 | $14.26 | $29,660 | $22,370 to $45,080 |
| Oregon | 48,090 | $17.68 | $36,770 | $31,720 to $49,090 |
| Pennsylvania | 141,790 | $15.00 | $31,200 | $23,770 to $46,130 |
| Rhode Island | 12,830 | $16.76 | $34,860 | $31,200 to $47,060 |
| South Carolina | 67,310 | $14.75 | $30,690 | $22,330 to $45,510 |
| South Dakota | 14,180 | $16.52 | $34,370 | $28,190 to $61,720 |
| Tennessee | 87,380 | $15.36 | $31,950 | $23,720 to $47,720 |
| Texas | 341,640 | $14.81 | $30,800 | $23,330 to $45,080 |
| Utah | 47,570 | $16.30 | $33,900 | $26,410 to $49,090 |
| Vermont | 8,250 | $17.98 | $37,400 | $31,060 to $55,700 |
| Virginia | 100,290 | $16.46 | $34,240 | $27,540 to $46,590 |
| Washington | 84,850 | $19.02 | $39,560 | $35,860 to $54,660 |
| West Virginia | 19,050 | $13.92 | $28,950 | $22,260 to $39,520 |
| Wisconsin | 67,640 | $16.58 | $34,480 | $27,300 to $47,870 |
| Wyoming | 8,770 | $16.50 | $34,310 | $24,750 to $54,310 |
Highest-paying states
- Washington: $39,560, 12% above the national median
- District of Columbia: $38,500, 9% above the national median
- California: $38,440, 9% above the national median
- Colorado: $37,950, 7% above the national median
- Hawaii: $37,790, 7% above the national median
Lowest-paying states
- Mississippi: $28,640
- West Virginia: $28,950
- Arkansas: $29,270
- Louisiana: $29,490
- Kentucky: $29,650
States with the most jobs
- California: 376,460 employed
- Texas: 341,640 employed
- Florida: 333,460 employed
- New York: 238,540 employed
- Georgia: 143,120 employed
Where the job is most concentrated
Jobs per 1,000 jobs in the state, a measure of how common the occupation is locally.
- New Hampshire: 34.95 per 1,000 jobs
- Florida: 33.582 per 1,000 jobs
- Mississippi: 33.018 per 1,000 jobs
- Wyoming: 31.245 per 1,000 jobs
- South Dakota: 31.009 per 1,000 jobs
More about this role
Retail Sales Associate career guide · Retail Sales Associate job description and interview questions
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Sources and methodology
Wage and employment estimates: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, cross-industry estimates for all ownerships. Figures are as published; BLS does not publish some estimates for some states. As defined by BLS, wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses, and exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and other premium pay. BLS OEWS
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jobder has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET Database
Written and maintained by the Jobder team. Last updated 2026-10-26. Questions or corrections: support@jobder.pro.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average retail sales associate salary?
The mean annual wage for retail salespersons in the U.S. was $37,310 in May 2025, and the median was $35,410. The median is the middle value: half of workers earned more, half earned less.
How much does a retail sales associate make an hour?
The median hourly wage was $17.03 in May 2025. The 10th percentile was $13.08 and the 90th percentile was $23.02.
Where do retail sales associates earn the most?
Washington had the highest median annual wage, at $39,560, 12% above the national median.
Where do retail sales associates earn the least?
Mississippi had the lowest median annual wage, at $28,640.
Where does this data come from?
From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates, which cover wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments.