Retail Salespersons Salary
Retail Salespersons in Lancaster, PA make a median of $30,280 a year, or about $14.56 an hour. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.26), that's roughly $30,816 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,526/month, about 72.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $30K get you in Lancaster?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lancaster’s Regional Price Parity (98.26). 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 Lancaster
Pay for retail salespersons in Lancaster runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,526/month, which is 72% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.26) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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 Lancaster, 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, Lancaster, PA
Entry-level retail salespersons (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $30K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $23K 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 Lancaster numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a retail salesperson afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lancaster?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $30K, rent takes 72% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,526/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 Lancaster?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new retail salespersons typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,417/month. At HUD’s $1,526/month FMR, rent would take 108% 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 Lancaster?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $30K here vs. $35K nationally.
How does Lancaster compare to the national average for retail salespersons?
Lancaster pays $30K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.26), the purchasing-power equivalent is $31K — below the national median.
How much do retail salespersons make in Lancaster, PA?
The median is $30,280 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,610, and experienced retail salespersons can clear $46,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $30K enough to live in Lancaster?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,120/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,526/month, which eats 72% 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 Lancaster?
Lancaster has a Regional Price Parity of 98.26 (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 $30,816 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.