Retail Sales Workers
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Retail Sales Workers in the United States earn a median salary of $35,410 per year — about $17 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 4.2M people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of 0%.
AI & Automation Risk
Retail sales involve a mix of physical tasks (stocking shelves, demonstrating products) and interpersonal interaction that provides a barrier to full automation. However, AI is increasingly handling the information-heavy aspects of the job, such as personalized product recommendations, answering technical questions via kiosks/mobile apps, and automating inventory management and checkout processes, which reduces the total human labor required per store.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewiston, ID-WABEST VALUE | $37,010 | Below avg (87.9) | $42,110 |
| Bismarck, ND | $36,730 | Below avg (89.4) | $41,106 |
| Mankato, MN | $35,350 | Below avg (87.6) | $40,332 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | $35,860 | Below avg (89.1) | $40,231 |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | $34,440 | Below avg (85.9) | $40,089 |
| Minot, ND | $35,290 | Below avg (88.7) | $39,793 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | $34,650 | Below avg (87.2) | $39,745 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | $36,440 | Below avg (91.9) | $39,671 |
| Billings, MT | $35,760 | Below avg (90.3) | $39,579 |
| Carson City, NV | $37,490 | Below avg (94.9) | $39,510 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $44,220 | Above avg (113.1) | $39,112 |
| Helena, MT | $35,990 | Below avg (92.1) | $39,075 |
| St. Cloud, MN | $34,860 | Below avg (89.3) | $39,037 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $38,680 | Average (99.3) | $38,948 |
| Sheboygan, WI | $35,370 | Below avg (90.9) | $38,913 |