Retail Salespersons Career, Salary and Skills
Retail Salespersons have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $35,410 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 3,897,860. Wage data is published for 447 locations.
Occupation description
Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers.
O*NET code
41-2031.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$35,410
Hourly median
$17.03
Employment
3,897,860
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
$27,210
10th
$29,900
25th
$35,410
Median
$38,670
75th
$47,890
90th
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Persuasion | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Speaking | 3.75 | 3.12 |
| Service Orientation | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Active Listening | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Negotiation | 3.50 | 3.75 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Writing | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Coordination | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | 3.00 | 3.12 |
Typical tasks
- Recommend, select, and help locate or obtain merchandise based on customer needs and desires.
- Compute sales prices, total purchases, and receive and process cash or credit payment.
- Prepare merchandise for purchase or rental.
- Answer questions regarding the store and its merchandise.
- Maintain knowledge of current sales and promotions, policies regarding payment and exchanges, and security practices.
- Demonstrate use or operation of merchandise.
- Describe merchandise and explain use, operation, and care of merchandise to customers.
- Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs.
Technology
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Advanced Retail Management Systems Retail Pro
- American Precision Instruments Regit
- Apple macOS
- Apple Safari
- ASI Point of Sale
- Attitude POS itive AccuPOS Retail
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Bibase 4POS Retail
- Blink
Retail Salespersons salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Retail Salespersons Salary in CAMedian $38,440 · Employment 376,460
- Retail Salespersons Salary in TXMedian $30,800 · Employment 341,640
- Retail Salespersons Salary in FLMedian $34,010 · Employment 333,460
- Retail Salespersons Salary in NYMedian $37,720 · Employment 238,540
- Retail Salespersons Salary in New York, NYMedian $38,280 · Employment 202,080
- Retail Salespersons Salary in GAMedian $30,840 · Employment 143,120
- Retail Salespersons Salary in PAMedian $31,200 · Employment 141,790
- Retail Salespersons Salary in OHMedian $30,800 · Employment 137,370
- Retail Salespersons Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $37,700 · Employment 130,650
- Retail Salespersons Salary in NCMedian $31,370 · Employment 127,540
- Retail Salespersons Salary in ILMedian $35,370 · Employment 126,610
- Retail Salespersons Salary in MIMedian $34,640 · Employment 111,010
Related careers
- Procurement ClerksNational median $50,580
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and TravelNational median $69,990
- Sales ManagersNational median $148,270
- Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm ProductsNational median not published
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory ClerksNational median $45,260
- Advertising Sales AgentsNational median $64,820
- Merchandise Displayers and Window TrimmersNational median $39,390
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific ProductsNational median $104,920
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.