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Sales & Related

Retail Salespersons

SOC 41-2031

Help customers find and buy products, handle sales, and keep the floor stocked.

The job
Median pay
$35k
$30k to $39k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Declining
-0.3% projected
Openings a year
521k
BLS projection
Typical education
No formal credential
Our model
AI displacement risk
Moderate
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
12/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
45th pct
More exposed than 45% of occupations · modeled estimate · 88th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
39/100

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Weigh it against Counter & Rental ClerksPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostWashington leads at $40k; every state is below Find careers like itOpen the map at Retail Salespersons and explore its neighbours See open jobsRetail Salespersons roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Retail Salespersons, who lean most on active listening Real pay & reviewsWhat Retail Salespersons say they actually earn

Key skills

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.

StateJobsPer 1,000vs nationalMedian pay
California376,46020.70.8×$38k
Texas341,64024.31.0×$31k
Florida333,46033.61.3×$34k
New York238,54024.61.0×$38k
Georgia143,12029.31.2×$31k
Pennsylvania141,79023.40.9×$31k
Ohio137,37024.81.0×$31k
North Carolina127,54025.81.0×$31k
Illinois126,61020.80.8×$35k
Michigan111,01025.21.0×$35k
All 51 states
StateJobsPer 1,000vs nationalMedian pay
Virginia100,29024.41.0×$34k
Arizona93,92029.01.2×$36k
Tennessee87,38026.71.1×$32k
Massachusetts86,86023.90.9×$37k
Washington84,85023.90.9×$40k
Indiana83,67026.11.0×$32k
Maryland79,32028.71.1×$36k
Colorado76,66026.71.1×$38k
Minnesota74,84025.41.0×$36k
New Jersey72,53016.90.7×$37k
Wisconsin67,64023.00.9×$34k
South Carolina67,31029.21.2×$31k
Missouri67,14022.90.9×$33k
Alabama60,88028.81.1×$30k
Kentucky51,25025.61.0×$30k
Louisiana49,57025.61.0×$29k
Oregon48,09024.41.0×$37k
Utah47,57027.41.1×$34k
Nevada43,92028.31.1×$34k
Oklahoma43,83025.71.0×$30k
Connecticut42,41025.01.0×$36k
Iowa41,00026.31.1×$31k
Mississippi38,40033.01.3×$29k
Arkansas35,51027.21.1×$29k
Kansas33,36023.20.9×$32k
New Hampshire23,88034.91.4×$36k
New Mexico23,80027.31.1×$33k
Nebraska22,78022.20.9×$32k
Idaho20,18023.50.9×$35k
Hawaii19,18030.61.2×$38k
West Virginia19,05027.21.1×$29k
Maine18,45028.81.1×$37k
South Dakota14,18031.01.2×$34k
Montana13,49026.41.1×$36k
Delaware13,40027.61.1×$35k
Rhode Island12,83025.61.0×$35k
North Dakota11,32026.41.1×$36k
Wyoming8,77031.21.3×$34k
Vermont8,25027.11.1×$37k
Alaska7,89024.21.0×$37k
Washington DC4,6606.60.3×$39k

Top metro areas

  1. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ202,080 jobs · $38k median
  2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA130,650 jobs · $38k median
  3. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX100,340 jobs · $33k median
  4. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN96,950 jobs · $36k median
  5. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL91,370 jobs · $34k median
  6. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA84,970 jobs · $33k median
  7. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX78,960 jobs · $31k median
  8. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ69,060 jobs · $36k median

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.