Retail salespersons

Detailed Occupation

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2020 Workforce

3.15M

Average Age

38.2

Estimated Job Growth

−0.574%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$32,227

Average Male Salary

$41,694

Average Female Salary

$22,905

About

Retail salespersons are most often employed by the Clothing stores industry. The average yearly wage for Retail salespersons was $32,227 in 2016. The top 3 most similar occupations to Retail salespersons by wage are Military enlisted tactical operations & air/weapons specialists & crew members, Fence erectors, and Tree trimmers and pruners.

Retail salespersons are part of the Sales & related occupations, along with Firstline supervisors of retail sales workers, Firstline supervisors of nonretail sales workers, Cashiers, Counter & rental clerks, Parts salespersons, and 13 more.

The top 3 locations that employ the most Retail salespersons are Norman, Oklahoma City (South) & Moore Cities PUMA, OK, Cape Coral City PUMA, FL, and Dale City, Lake Ridge & Woodbridge PUMA, VA. The top 3 locations with a relatively high concentration of Retail salespersons are Webb CountyLaredo City (Central) PUMA, TX, Pasco County (West Central) PUMA, FL, and Edinburg City PUMA, TX.

About the photo: Photo courtesy of <a href='https://bellaellaboutique.com' target='_blank'>Bell Ella Boutique</a>, a series of boutique clothing stores.

Photo by Bella Ella Boutique

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Retail salespersons and on wages and locations for those in the field. Clothing stores is the industry that employs the most Retail salespersons, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Retail salespersons, by average wage, is Truck transportation. Retail salespersons are paid most in Murray Hill, Gramercy & Stuyvesant Town PUMA, NY but are relatively concentrated in Webb CountyLaredo City (Central) PUMA, TX.

Yearly Wage

$32,227

AVERAGE SALARY

± $615

In 2020, Retail salespersons earned an average of $32,227, $23,727 less than than the average national salary of $55,954.

Military enlisted tactical operations & air/weapons specialists & crew members make somewhat more than Retail salespersons while Tree trimmers and pruners make somewhat less. This chart shows the various occupations closest to Retail salespersons as measured by average annual salary in the US.

Wage Distribution

0.527

WAGE GINI

In 2015, Retail salespersons had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.527, which is higher than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly for Retail salespersons (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

Wage by Location

HIGHEST PAYING PUMAS

This map shows the Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States shaded by average annual wage for Retail salespersons.

Spatial Concentration

PUMAs with a Relatively High Concentration of Retail salespersons

This map displays which Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States have a relatively high population of Retail salespersons.

Most Common

The most common industries employing Retail salespersons, by number of employees, are Clothing stores, General merchandise stores, including warehouse clubs and supercenters, Building material & supplies dealers, Car Dealers, Electronics stores, Not specified retail trade, Department stores, Furniture & home furnishings stores, Sporting goods, and hobby & toy stores , Miscellaneous retail stores, and Health & personal care, except drug, stores .

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries for Retail salespersons, by average wage, are Truck transportation, Performing arts companies, and Investigation & security services.

Industries by Share

3.15M

2020 Workforce

± 43,088

−3.1%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 1.98%

The number of people employed as Retail salespersons has been declining at a rate of −3.1%, from 3,247,455 people in 2019 to 3,146,885 people in 2020.

This graphic shows the share of Retail salespersons employed by various industries. Clothing stores employs the largest share of Retail salespersons at 12.2%, followed by General merchandise stores, including warehouse clubs and supercenters with 9.1% and Building material & supplies dealers with 8.64%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Retail salespersons in the US. The average age of male Retail salespersons in the workforce is 38.8 and of female Retail salespersons is 37.7, and the most common race/ethnicity for Retail salespersons is White (Non-Hispanic).

Composition by Sex

1.56M

MALE WORKFORCE

± 30,516

1.59M

FEMALE WORKFORCE

± 30,748

50.4% of Retail salespersons are Female, making them the more common sex in the occupation. This chart shows the sex breakdown of Retail salespersons.

Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity of Retail salespersons

White (Non-Hispanic)
Black (Non-Hispanic)
White (Hispanic)

61.7% of Retail salespersons are White (Non-Hispanic), making that the most common race or ethnicity in the occupation. Representing 11.6% of Retail salespersons, Black (Non-Hispanic) is the second most common race or ethnicity in this occupation. This chart shows the racial and ethnic breakdown of Retail salespersons.

Age by Sex

38.8

AVERAGE MALE AGE

± 0.323

37.7

AVERAGE FEMALE AGE

± 0.337

The median age of Retail salespersons is 38.2, and Male employees are generally 1.06 years older than than their Female counterparts.

Education

Data on higher education choices for Retail salespersons from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Retail salespersons is Business but a relatively high number of Retail salespersons hold a major in Communication Technologies.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

MOST COMMON MAJORS

MOST SPECIALIZED MAJORS

Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Retail salespersons from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retail salespersons need many skills, but most especially Persuasion, Service Orientation, and Active Listening. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Retail salespersons need more than the average amount of Persuasion, Negotiation, and Service Orientation.

Radar Distribution

Bar Chart

Projections

Projections on job growth for Retail Salespersons from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Retail Salespersons are expected to see a growth of −0.574% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow less than the national average.

Job Growth

−0.574%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Retail Salespersons. This profession is expected to grow less than than 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.