Retail Salespersons Salary
Retail Salespersons in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC make a median of $30,820 a year, or about $14.82 an hour. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $45K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.94), that's roughly $31,468 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,713/month, about 81.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $31K get you in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk’s Regional Price Parity (97.94). 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Pay for retail salespersons in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk 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 $1,713/month, which is 80.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.94) 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $34K | $34K |
| Roanoke | $30K | $33K |
| Lynchburg | $31K | $34K |
| Charlottesville | $34K | $35K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
Entry-level retail salespersons (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $45K or more, a $18K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a retail salesperson afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 80.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,713/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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new retail salespersons typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,618/month. At HUD’s $1,713/month FMR, rent would take 106% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $31K here vs. $35K nationally.
How does Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk compare to the national average for retail salespersons?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $31K — below the national median.
How much do retail salespersons make in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?
The median is $30,820 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $26,960, and experienced retail salespersons can clear $44,570. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,129/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,713/month, which eats 80.5% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk has a Regional Price Parity of 97.94 (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 $31,468 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.