Retail Salespersons Salary
Retail Salespersons in Erie, PA make a median of $28,610 a year, or about $13.76 an hour. The range runs from $23K at the entry level to $44K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.95), which stretches that salary to about $31,457 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,212/month, about 58.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $29K get you in Erie?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Erie’s Regional Price Parity (90.95). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About retail salespersons
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What this looks like in Erie
Pay for retail salespersons in Erie runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,212/month, which is 60.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.95 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for retail salespersonss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for retail salespersons in metros near Erie, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $35K | $34K |
| Pittsburgh | $31K | $33K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $32K | $32K |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $31K | $31K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Erie, PA
Entry-level retail salespersons (10th percentile) start around $23K. Mid-career wages sit at $29K. Top earners bring in $44K or more, a $21K spread from bottom to top.
Retail Salespersons pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Retail Salespersons salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $40K | +12% | 84,850 |
| District of Columbia | $39K | +9% | 4,660 |
| California | $38K | +9% | 376,460 |
| Colorado | $38K | +7% | 76,660 |
| Hawaii | $38K | +7% | 19,180 |
| New York | $38K | +7% | 238,540 |
| Vermont | $37K | +6% | 8,250 |
| Alaska | $37K | +5% | 7,890 |
| Oregon | $37K | +4% | 48,090 |
| Maine | $37K | +3% | 18,450 |
| Massachusetts | $37K | +3% | 86,860 |
| New Jersey | $37K | +3% | 72,530 |
| Connecticut | $36K | +3% | 42,410 |
| Minnesota | $36K | +3% | 74,840 |
| Montana | $36K | +2% | 13,490 |
| New Hampshire | $36K | +2% | 23,880 |
| North Dakota | $36K | +2% | 11,320 |
| Arizona | $36K | +1% | 93,920 |
| Maryland | $36K | +0% | 79,320 |
| Illinois | $35K | -0% | 126,610 |
| Delaware | $35K | -0% | 13,400 |
| Idaho | $35K | -1% | 20,180 |
| Rhode Island | $35K | -2% | 12,830 |
| Michigan | $35K | -2% | 111,010 |
| Wisconsin | $34K | -3% | 67,640 |
| South Dakota | $34K | -3% | 14,180 |
| Wyoming | $34K | -3% | 8,770 |
| Virginia | $34K | -3% | 100,290 |
| Nevada | $34K | -3% | 43,920 |
| Florida | $34K | -4% | 333,460 |
| Utah | $34K | -4% | 47,570 |
| Missouri | $33K | -6% | 67,140 |
| New Mexico | $33K | -6% | 23,800 |
| Kansas | $32K | -9% | 33,360 |
| Tennessee | $32K | -10% | 87,380 |
| Nebraska | $32K | -10% | 22,780 |
| Indiana | $32K | -11% | 83,670 |
| North Carolina | $31K | -11% | 127,540 |
| Iowa | $31K | -11% | 41,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $31K | -12% | 141,790 |
| Georgia | $31K | -13% | 143,120 |
| Ohio | $31K | -13% | 137,370 |
| Texas | $31K | -13% | 341,640 |
| South Carolina | $31K | -13% | 67,310 |
| Alabama | $30K | -15% | 60,880 |
| Oklahoma | $30K | -16% | 43,830 |
| Kentucky | $30K | -16% | 51,250 |
| Louisiana | $29K | -17% | 49,570 |
| Arkansas | $29K | -17% | 35,510 |
| West Virginia | $29K | -18% | 19,050 |
| Mississippi | $29K | -19% | 38,400 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track retail salespersons salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Erie numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a retail salesperson afford a 2BR apartment alone in Erie?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $29K, rent takes 60.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,212/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for retail salespersons in Erie?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new retail salespersons typically earn — is $23K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,354/month. At HUD’s $1,212/month FMR, rent would take 90% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is retail salesperson a high-paying job in Erie?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $29K here vs. $35K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Erie compare to the national average for retail salespersons?
Erie pays $29K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.95), the purchasing-power equivalent is $31K — below the national median.
How much do retail salespersons make in Erie, PA?
The median is $28,610 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $22,560, and experienced retail salespersons can clear $43,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in Erie?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,012/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,212/month, which eats 60.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a retail salespersons salary go in Erie?
Erie has a Regional Price Parity of 90.95 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median retail salespersons salary is worth about $31,457 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do retail salespersons get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.