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 2025. The best paid, sales engineers, earns a median of $124,900 a year.
| # | Job | Median annual | Hourly | Typical education | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sales Engineers | $124,900 | $60.05 | Bachelor's degree | 51,790 |
| 2 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $104,920 | $50.44 | Bachelor's degree | 284,800 |
| 3 | First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $87,520 | $42.08 | High school diploma or equivalent | 214,390 |
| 4 | Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | $78,660 | $37.82 | Bachelor's degree | 489,570 |
| 5 | Real Estate Brokers | $73,220 | $35.20 | High school diploma or equivalent | 46,100 |
| 6 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $72,080 | $34.65 | High school diploma or equivalent | 1,238,190 |
| 7 | Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $69,990 | $33.65 | High school diploma or equivalent | 1,256,010 |
| 8 | Advertising Sales Agents | $64,820 | $31.16 | High school diploma or equivalent | 91,700 |
| 9 | Insurance Sales Agents | $62,280 | $29.94 | High school diploma or equivalent | 479,100 |
| 10 | Real Estate Sales Agents | $52,830 | $25.40 | High school diploma or equivalent | 193,370 |
| 11 | Travel Agents | $50,160 | $24.11 | High school diploma or equivalent | 55,110 |
| 12 | First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | $48,520 | $23.33 | High school diploma or equivalent | 1,121,800 |
| 13 | Models | $48,470 | $23.30 | No formal educational credential | 3,780 |
| 14 | Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers | $41,380 | $19.89 | No formal educational credential | 2,760 |
| 15 | Counter and Rental Clerks | $41,300 | $19.86 | No formal educational credential | 400,810 |
| 16 | Demonstrators and Product Promoters | $39,320 | $18.91 | No formal educational credential | 64,520 |
| 17 | Parts Salespersons | $38,630 | $18.57 | No formal educational credential | 270,070 |
| 18 | Gambling Change Persons and Booth Cashiers | $36,220 | $17.41 | No formal educational credential | 21,530 |
| 19 | Telemarketers | $35,450 | $17.04 | No formal educational credential | 58,430 |
| 20 | Retail Salespersons | $35,410 | $17.03 | No formal educational credential | 3,897,860 |
| 21 | Cashiers | $32,880 | $15.81 | No formal educational credential | 3,089,410 |
Ranked by median annual wage. National estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025.
Sales & Retail salary FAQ
What is the highest paying sales & retail job?
Sales Engineers top the sales & retail field at a median of $124,900 a year, based on BLS data for May 2025.
How much do sales & retail jobs pay on average?
Pay varies widely across the 21 occupations in this field. The middle of the list, travel agents, sits at a median of $50,160 a year. The overall U.S. median across all jobs is $50,980.
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Source. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Figures shown as published, last
updated 2026-05-15.