41
Retail Salespersons is a notable career in the 41 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Retail Salespersons against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
Education Administrators, All Other
11
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Managers, All Other
11
Buyers and Purchasing Agents
13
Business Operations Specialists, All Other
13
| soc | 41-2031 |
| title | Retail Salespersons |
| onet code | 41-2031.00 |
| description | Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers. |
| job zone | 2 |
| major group | 41 |
| tot emp | 3,800,250 |
| a mean | 37,150 |
| a median | 34,580 |
| a pct10 | 25,600 |
| a pct25 | 29,140 |
| a pct75 | 37,850 |
| a pct90 | 47,930 |
| h mean | 17 |
| h median | 16 |
The day-to-day work of a retail salespersons typically centers on greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Persuasion, Service Orientation, and Active Listening. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.42 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working retail salespersons, the most common entry qualification is a High School Diploma (63.5%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 4% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in Washington at $38,350 and lowest in Mississippi at $27,810 — a 1.4× spread. The top five states (Washington, District of Columbia, California, New York, Colorado) average $37,476. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $38,350 | $43,680 | $34,690 | $56,850 | 86,050 |
| District of Columbia | $37,800 | $42,860 | $35,360 | $58,050 | 4,470 |
| California | $37,250 | $42,870 | $34,290 | $53,780 | 352,860 |
| New York | $37,020 | $42,700 | $31,610 | $59,040 | 233,740 |
| Colorado | $36,960 | $41,550 | $30,940 | $50,560 | 74,640 |
| Alaska | $36,940 | $40,430 | $29,880 | $51,450 | 7,790 |
| Vermont | $36,810 | $41,760 | $29,960 | $52,330 | 7,930 |
| Maine | $36,460 | $40,430 | $30,640 | $49,920 | 17,210 |
| Massachusetts | $36,320 | $40,530 | $32,500 | $48,900 | 86,410 |
| Oregon | $36,140 | $40,230 | $30,790 | $48,840 | 47,930 |
| Hawaii | $36,050 | $40,280 | $29,450 | $54,540 | 18,140 |
| North Dakota | $35,670 | $38,910 | $26,070 | $52,280 | 10,450 |
| New Jersey | $35,630 | $41,330 | $31,470 | $59,260 | 87,760 |
| New Hampshire | $35,440 | $38,910 | $28,030 | $49,730 | 20,460 |
| Connecticut | $35,350 | $40,490 | $32,640 | $51,220 | 41,890 |
| Arizona | $35,320 | $38,360 | $30,070 | $46,790 | 88,490 |
| Minnesota | $35,310 | $38,090 | $28,030 | $48,820 | 69,640 |
| Montana | $35,000 | $37,160 | $27,760 | $49,040 | 13,500 |
| Rhode Island | $34,860 | $37,440 | $29,440 | $49,150 | 11,460 |
| Illinois | $34,490 | $38,230 | $29,580 | $47,880 | 132,880 |
| Maryland | $34,310 | $37,220 | $31,200 | $45,510 | 72,010 |
| Utah | $34,300 | $38,600 | $26,210 | $50,840 | 39,580 |
| South Dakota | $34,260 | $41,070 | $27,630 | $64,070 | 13,070 |
| Delaware | $34,200 | $36,420 | $27,800 | $47,070 | 13,470 |
| Wisconsin | $33,640 | $36,380 | $26,360 | $48,260 | 67,610 |
| Nevada | $33,430 | $36,430 | $27,030 | $47,590 | 41,880 |
| Idaho | $33,400 | $37,050 | $23,380 | $48,010 | 20,670 |
| Michigan | $33,340 | $38,270 | $25,620 | $49,700 | 111,210 |
| Virginia | $32,760 | $36,350 | $26,910 | $46,850 | 101,260 |
| Florida | $31,950 | $35,640 | $26,940 | $46,270 | 325,960 |
| Kansas | $31,670 | $35,720 | $23,260 | $48,260 | 30,390 |
| Wyoming | $31,450 | $35,270 | $22,790 | $48,650 | 9,190 |
| New Mexico | $31,360 | $34,550 | $27,170 | $44,090 | 23,260 |
| Missouri | $31,250 | $35,440 | $26,760 | $45,520 | 63,100 |
| Tennessee | $30,770 | $34,790 | $22,670 | $46,640 | 85,810 |
| Ohio | $30,440 | $35,230 | $23,520 | $47,180 | 127,070 |
| Pennsylvania | $30,410 | $34,320 | $22,880 | $46,200 | 143,460 |
| Nebraska | $30,350 | $34,570 | $26,390 | $44,900 | 22,820 |
| Indiana | $30,300 | $34,660 | $22,830 | $46,190 | 82,400 |
| Texas | $30,130 | $33,580 | $22,370 | $44,870 | 329,520 |
| North Carolina | $30,090 | $33,700 | $22,550 | $46,080 | 126,060 |
| Iowa | $30,030 | $34,170 | $23,160 | $46,080 | 37,600 |
| Georgia | $29,770 | $32,980 | $21,930 | $44,640 | 142,520 |
| Oklahoma | $29,580 | $33,300 | $21,830 | $45,670 | 41,590 |
| Kentucky | $29,450 | $33,270 | $21,870 | $44,540 | 47,680 |
| South Carolina | $29,450 | $33,150 | $21,880 | $44,410 | 69,010 |
| Alabama | $29,430 | $32,840 | $21,760 | $45,010 | 60,330 |
| Arkansas | $29,420 | $33,070 | $23,760 | $43,380 | 31,350 |
| Louisiana | $28,820 | $31,550 | $21,160 | $44,490 | 51,540 |
| West Virginia | $27,910 | $30,220 | $21,690 | $37,620 | 18,290 |
| Mississippi | $27,810 | $30,540 | $20,770 | $39,860 | 36,330 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for retail salespersons. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Art Dealer or Art Objects Salesperson frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Retail Salespersons compares to others in the 41 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Retail Salespersons
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.