Retail Salespersons Salary
Retail Salespersons in Texas make a median of $30,800 a year, or about $14.81 an hour. The range runs from $23K at the entry level to $45K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $33,665 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 63.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $31K get you in Texas?
About retail salespersons
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What this looks like in Texas
Pay for retail salespersons in Texas runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,415/month, which is 63.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level retail salespersons (10th percentile) start around $23K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $45K or more, a $22K spread from bottom to top.
Retail Salespersons salary by metro in Texas
26 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $34K | +10% | 29,660 |
| Midland | $34K | +9% | 2,210 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $33K | +8% | 100,340 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $31K | +2% | 78,960 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $31K | +1% | 27,580 |
| Sherman-Denison | $31K | -0% | 1,430 |
| Odessa | $30K | -2% | 1,900 |
| Killeen-Temple | $30K | -3% | 3,870 |
| Waco | $30K | -3% | 3,140 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $30K | -3% | 3,840 |
| Abilene | $30K | -4% | 2,000 |
| Amarillo | $29K | -5% | 3,150 |
| Corpus Christi | $29K | -5% | 4,790 |
| Longview | $29K | -5% | 3,110 |
| College Station-Bryan | $29K | -6% | 3,120 |
| Victoria | $29K | -7% | 1,440 |
| Texarkana | $29K | -7% | 1,650 |
| Wichita Falls | $29K | -7% | 1,490 |
| Lubbock | $28K | -8% | 4,580 |
| San Angelo | $28K | -8% | 1,490 |
| Tyler | $28K | -9% | 3,650 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | $28K | -10% | 3,820 |
| Eagle Pass | $28K | -10% | 460 |
| Laredo | $28K | -11% | 3,240 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $27K | -11% | 8,960 |
| El Paso | $27K | -11% | 10,070 |
Showing 1–10 of 26 metros
Compare to other states
Track retail salespersons salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a retail salesperson afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 63.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for retail salespersons in Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new retail salespersons typically earn — is $23K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,400/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 101% 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 Texas?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $31K here vs. $35K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Texas compare to the national average for retail salespersons?
Texas pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do retail salespersons make in Texas?
The median is $30,800 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,330, and experienced retail salespersons can clear $45,080. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,232/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 63.4% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $33,665 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.