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Retail Salesperson salary in Pennsylvania

Home › Sales › Retail Salesperson › Pennsylvania
Data current as of October 2026 · sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET
Average base salary, Pennsylvania
$35,500 / year
≈ $2,950 per month · $17.07 per hour

BLS May 2025 state data for Pennsylvania · median $32,500
25th percentile
$29,000
Average
$35,500
75th percentile
$38,000
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.

Retail Salesperson salary in Pennsylvania

The average Retail Salesperson salary in Pennsylvania is $35,500 per year on WePayFairly's 2026 basis. The 25th-to-75th-percentile range is $29,000 to $38,000. Based on BLS state wage data, aged to 2026.

The Pennsylvania median is $32,500 per year.

Pennsylvania average pay is $3,000 (7.8%) below the national Retail Salesperson average of $38,500. Both use the same 2026 basis.

Retail Salesperson salary by state
Alabama$34,500
Alaska$41,500
Arizona$39,500
Arkansas$33,500
California$44,500
Colorado$43,000
Delaware$38,500
Florida$37,500
Georgia$35,000
Hawaii$42,000
Idaho$38,500
Illinois$40,000
Indiana$36,500
Iowa$35,500
Kansas$36,000
Kentucky$33,500
Louisiana$33,500
Maine$41,500
Maryland$39,500
Michigan$39,000
Minnesota$39,500
Missouri$37,500
Montana$39,500
Nebraska$36,500
Nevada$37,500
New Jersey$43,500
New Mexico$36,500
New York$44,000
Ohio$36,000
Oklahoma$34,000
Oregon$42,000
Pennsylvania$35,500
Tennessee$36,000
Texas$35,000
Utah$38,000
Vermont$44,000
Virginia$37,500
Washington$45,000
Wisconsin$37,500
Wyoming$38,500

National role context

The following occupation, experience, industry and career information describes the role nationally. For Pennsylvania pay, use the state figures above and the state salary questions below.

Total cash compensation

Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.

Base salary
$38,500
National baseline
Target bonus
$3,000
7.3% of base
Total target cash
$41,500
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles: 25th $2,000 50th $3,000 75th $5,000
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role

Retail Salesperson is a professional role within the function in the Sales job family.

The Sales function covers building customer relationships, managing pipeline, and closing revenue.

Typical entry preparation: High School Diploma and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.

Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.

What Retail Salespersons do

Typical education: High School Diploma

  • Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs.
  • 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.

Top skills: Persuasion Speaking Service Orientation Active Listening Social Perceptiveness Negotiation

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Retail Salesperson pay by experience level
Entry level$28,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$31,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$36,500
Mid-career median pay
Senior$40,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$49,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
-0.5%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
555,800
projected openings per year
Declining
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Retail Salesperson salary by industry
General Merchandise Retailers

795,090 workers

$35,500

Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers

688,310 workers

$35,500

Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers

611,950 workers

$36,000

Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers

499,850 workers

$34,500

Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers

468,410 workers

$41,000

Building Material and Supplies Dealers

400,160 workers

$42,000

Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers

309,010 workers

$53,000

Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronics, and Appliance Retailers

265,280 workers

$42,000

Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers

235,950 workers

$36,000

Automobile Dealers

225,610 workers

$56,000

National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.

Who works in this role

About 2.7 million people held this occupation in the United States in 2025.

Women
47%
White
76.5%
Black or African American
13%
Asian
6%
Hispanic or Latino
20.4%

Race categories and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity overlap, so shares can sum to more than 100 percent. Figures describe this occupation across the national workforce, not any single employer. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Averages, Table 11, 2025.

Pay trend

National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $27,080 to $35,410.

+30.8% over this period
$35,410$27,080202020212022202320242025

Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.

Pay by experience level

How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.

Entry10th percentile
$28,000
Early career25th percentile
$31,000
Median50th percentile
$36,500
Experienced75th percentile
$40,000
Top earners90th percentile
$49,500

Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.

Where this job pays most

Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.

$45,000
$44,500
$44,000
$44,000
$43,500
$43,000

State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.

Key skills for this role

The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.

PersuasionSpeakingService OrientationActive ListeningSocial PerceptivenessNegotiation

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.

Typical duties and FLSA status

Core duties

  • Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs.
  • 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.

FLSA classification (typical)

Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work

Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.

Pay outlook

Five-year pay outlook for this title

2026$38,500
2027$40,000
2028$41,000
2029$42,500
2030$44,000
2031$45,500

Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.

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Sources and assumptions

Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.

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How this role compares

Retail Salesperson pays 72% below the average across 933 roles in the Sales job family (family average $135,500).

Careers related to Retail Salesperson
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.

Pennsylvania salary questions

How much does a Retail Salesperson make in Pennsylvania?

The average base salary for a Retail Salesperson in Pennsylvania is $35,500 per year, or about $17.07 per hour, on WePayFairly's 2026 basis.

What is the median Retail Salesperson salary in Pennsylvania?

The median is $32,500 per year on the same 2026 basis. The median is the middle wage in the state distribution; the average is $35,500.

What is the typical Retail Salesperson salary range in Pennsylvania?

The 25th-to-75th-percentile range in Pennsylvania is $29,000 to $38,000 per year on the 2026 basis. These percentiles describe the state wage distribution; individual pay varies by employer and experience.

How does Retail Salesperson pay in Pennsylvania compare with the national average?

The Pennsylvania average of $35,500 is $3,000 (7.8%) below the national average of $38,500. Both figures use WePayFairly's 2026 basis.

Where do these Pennsylvania salary figures come from?

The state figures come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics state data. WePayFairly applies the same compounded market movement factor used elsewhere on this page to express the published figures on a 2026 basis. They are estimates, not a guarantee of a particular offer.

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