Retail Salespersons Salary
Retail Salespersons in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ make a median of $38,280 a year, or about $18.4 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 112.56), so that salary is closer to $34,009 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,910/month, about 110.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K get you in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by New York-Newark-Jersey City’s Regional Price Parity (112.56). 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City
Retail salespersons pay in New York-Newark-Jersey City tracks closely to the national median, $38K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,910/month, which is 111.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 13% above the national average (BEA RPP 112.56), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for retail salespersons in metros near New York-Newark-Jersey City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $35K | $36K |
| Rochester | $35K | $36K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $35K | $36K |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $36K | $33K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Entry-level retail salespersons (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $26K 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a retail salesperson afford a 2BR apartment alone in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 111.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,910/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for retail salespersons in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new retail salespersons typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,081/month. At HUD’s $2,910/month FMR, rent would take 140% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $38K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does New York-Newark-Jersey City compare to the national average for retail salespersons?
New York-Newark-Jersey City pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s +8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 112.56), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do retail salespersons make in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?
The median is $38,280 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,680, and experienced retail salespersons can clear $60,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,608/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,910/month, which eats 111.6% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
New York-Newark-Jersey City has a Regional Price Parity of 112.56 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median retail salespersons salary is worth about $34,009 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.