Sales & Retail salaries
Sales and retail careers move products and services, from retail associates and cashiers to real estate agents and high-ticket sales representatives.
Below are all 21 sales & retail occupations the BLS tracks, ranked by median annual pay for May 2024. The best paid, sales engineers, earns a median of $121,520 a year.
| # | Job | Median annual | Hourly | Typical education | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sales Engineers | $121,520 | $58.42 | Bachelor's degree | 56,690 |
| 2 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $100,070 | $48.11 | Bachelor's degree | 293,930 |
| 3 | Models | $89,990 | $43.26 | No formal educational credential | 5,350 |
| 4 | First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $84,130 | $40.45 | High school diploma or equivalent | 219,010 |
| 5 | Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | $78,140 | $37.57 | Bachelor's degree | 472,300 |
| 6 | Real Estate Brokers | $72,280 | $34.75 | High school diploma or equivalent | 49,590 |
| 7 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $66,780 | $32.11 | High school diploma or equivalent | 1,266,860 |
| 8 | Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $66,260 | $31.86 | High school diploma or equivalent | 1,189,330 |
| 9 | Advertising Sales Agents | $61,460 | $29.55 | High school diploma or equivalent | 97,470 |
| 10 | Insurance Sales Agents | $60,370 | $29.02 | High school diploma or equivalent | 469,480 |
| 11 | Real Estate Sales Agents | $56,320 | $27.08 | High school diploma or equivalent | 190,600 |
| 12 | Travel Agents | $48,450 | $23.29 | High school diploma or equivalent | 59,150 |
| 13 | First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | $47,320 | $22.75 | High school diploma or equivalent | 1,113,160 |
| 14 | Counter and Rental Clerks | $38,540 | $18.53 | No formal educational credential | 398,620 |
| 15 | Demonstrators and Product Promoters | $37,960 | $18.25 | No formal educational credential | 64,770 |
| 16 | Parts Salespersons | $37,440 | $18.00 | No formal educational credential | 265,060 |
| 17 | Gambling Change Persons and Booth Cashiers | $34,810 | $16.74 | No formal educational credential | 21,930 |
| 18 | Retail Salespersons | $34,580 | $16.62 | No formal educational credential | 3,800,250 |
| 19 | Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers | $34,530 | $16.60 | No formal educational credential | 4,590 |
| 20 | Telemarketers | $34,410 | $16.54 | No formal educational credential | 66,430 |
| 21 | Cashiers | $31,190 | $14.99 | No formal educational credential | 3,148,030 |
Ranked by median annual wage. National estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2024.
Sales & Retail salary FAQ
What is the highest paying sales & retail job?
Sales Engineers top the sales & retail field at a median of $121,520 a year, based on BLS data for May 2024.
How much do sales & retail jobs pay on average?
Pay varies widely across the 21 occupations in this field. The middle of the list, real estate sales agents, sits at a median of $56,320 a year. The overall U.S. median across all jobs is $49,500.