First-line supervisors of retail sales workers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $33,120 | $15.92 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $48,520 | $23.33 |
| Mean (average) | $53,380 | $25.66 |
| 90th percentile | $77,080 | $37.06 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 54 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $44,860 | $27,960 | $75,330 | 25,020 | 1.64 |
| Alaska | $57,080 | $38,180 | $77,990 | 3,030 | 1.29 |
| Arizona | $48,010 | $36,640 | $69,400 | 20,260 | 0.87 |
| Arkansas | $36,950 | $28,600 | $69,020 | 11,050 | 1.17 |
| California | $54,870 | $38,860 | $77,590 | 109,180 | 0.83 |
| Colorado | $58,200 | $39,440 | $86,320 | 26,390 | 1.27 |
| Connecticut | $56,510 | $37,110 | $82,140 | 13,910 | 1.14 |
| Delaware | $55,710 | $38,220 | $76,620 | 4,200 | 1.2 |
| District of Columbia | $58,470 | $45,060 | $81,430 | 1,470 | 0.29 |
| Florida | $48,410 | $34,710 | $76,200 | 80,470 | 1.12 |
| Georgia | $46,150 | $29,430 | $75,960 | 36,900 | 1.05 |
| Guam | $29,720 | $23,600 | $48,400 | 690 | 1.44 |
| Hawaii | $55,850 | $38,770 | $78,270 | 6,580 | 1.45 |
| Idaho | $46,140 | $33,120 | $74,300 | 7,330 | 1.19 |
| Illinois | $47,990 | $35,360 | $77,550 | 36,940 | 0.84 |
| Indiana | $47,790 | $31,630 | $73,410 | 22,090 | 0.96 |
| Iowa | $46,610 | $32,160 | $74,030 | 9,970 | 0.89 |
| Kansas | $46,950 | $31,780 | $72,040 | 9,250 | 0.89 |
| Kentucky | $40,080 | $28,360 | $69,930 | 18,290 | 1.27 |
| Louisiana | $43,860 | $27,720 | $71,290 | 16,910 | 1.21 |
| Maine | $53,580 | $41,600 | $76,070 | 5,760 | 1.25 |
| Maryland | $47,000 | $36,990 | $74,610 | 23,080 | 1.16 |
| Massachusetts | $57,490 | $39,740 | $81,300 | 20,240 | 0.77 |
| Michigan | $46,430 | $31,610 | $70,640 | 30,750 | 0.97 |
| Minnesota | $48,770 | $36,550 | $75,900 | 21,530 | 1.01 |
| Mississippi | $45,760 | $28,100 | $72,550 | 13,020 | 1.55 |
| Missouri | $46,860 | $33,300 | $73,590 | 19,160 | 0.9 |
| Montana | $49,300 | $35,360 | $77,320 | 5,830 | 1.58 |
| Nebraska | $45,280 | $34,290 | $70,690 | 7,010 | 0.95 |
| Nevada | $46,900 | $33,360 | $74,980 | 10,500 | 0.94 |
| New Hampshire | $51,650 | $36,290 | $81,070 | 6,610 | 1.34 |
| New Jersey | $57,320 | $39,200 | $82,750 | 31,160 | 1.01 |
| New Mexico | $46,550 | $34,490 | $72,510 | 7,660 | 1.22 |
| New York | $58,300 | $38,840 | $88,640 | 50,830 | 0.73 |
| North Carolina | $47,760 | $32,030 | $77,110 | 39,890 | 1.12 |
| North Dakota | $49,350 | $37,710 | $77,790 | 2,640 | 0.85 |
| Ohio | $45,680 | $30,410 | $70,400 | 39,110 | 0.98 |
| Oklahoma | $45,430 | $28,460 | $75,000 | 15,340 | 1.25 |
| Oregon | $50,660 | $37,530 | $78,630 | 13,940 | 0.98 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,690 | $30,830 | $73,880 | 40,970 | 0.94 |
| Puerto Rico | $30,090 | $22,660 | $51,330 | 12,700 | 1.88 |
| Rhode Island | $58,570 | $36,950 | $84,020 | 3,880 | 1.07 |
| South Carolina | $47,770 | $29,280 | $76,960 | 19,390 | 1.17 |
| South Dakota | $56,680 | $38,270 | $91,620 | 3,660 | 1.11 |
| Tennessee | $47,880 | $28,520 | $76,300 | 26,470 | 1.12 |
| Texas | $46,280 | $28,780 | $74,840 | 103,410 | 1.02 |
| Utah | $47,470 | $34,610 | $76,050 | 10,270 | 0.82 |
| Vermont | $55,760 | $39,560 | $76,580 | 2,310 | 1.05 |
| Virgin Islands | $44,880 | $29,590 | $67,120 | 440 | 1.88 |
| Virginia | $47,990 | $34,330 | $76,220 | 32,250 | 1.09 |
| Washington | $60,750 | $44,890 | $86,860 | 27,640 | 1.08 |
| West Virginia | $39,740 | $27,870 | $66,210 | 7,420 | 1.47 |
| Wisconsin | $49,550 | $35,040 | $76,060 | 17,750 | 0.84 |
| Wyoming | $45,980 | $30,620 | $77,810 | 3,060 | 1.51 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for first-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 113,500. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 21.1%.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for first-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Floriculture/Floristry Operations and Management CIP 01.0608
- Consumer Merchandising/Retailing Management CIP 19.0203
- E-Commerce/Electronic Commerce CIP 52.0208
- Retail Management CIP 52.0212
- Retailing and Retail Operations CIP 52.1803
- Selling Skills and Sales Operations CIP 52.1804
- General Merchandising, Sales, and Related Marketing Operations, Other CIP 52.1899
- Special Products Marketing Operations CIP 52.1909
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Provide customer service by greeting and assisting customers and responding to customer inquiries and complaints.
- Direct and supervise employees engaged in sales, inventory-taking, reconciling cash receipts, or in performing services for customers.
- Examine merchandise to ensure that it is correctly priced and displayed and that it functions as advertised.
- Monitor sales activities to ensure that customers receive satisfactory service and quality goods.
- Instruct staff on how to handle difficult and complicated sales.
- Assign employees to specific duties.
- Keep records of purchases, sales, and requisitions.
- Perform work activities of subordinates, such as cleaning and organizing shelves and displays and selling merchandise.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Apple Safari (hot technology)
- Autodesk Revit (hot technology)
- Facebook (hot technology)
- Google Analytics (hot technology)
- Google Docs (hot technology)
- IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Kronos Workforce Timekeeper (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Edge (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Persuasion, Negotiation, Instructing.
Common job titles: Bakery Manager, Delicatessen Manager, Department Manager, Department Supervisor, Grocery Manager, Key Carrier, Meat Department Manager, Parts Sales Manager, Shift Manager, Store Manager.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do first-line supervisors of retail sales workers make?
The national median annual wage for first-line supervisors of retail sales workers was $48,520 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $33,120 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $77,080. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do first-line supervisors of retail sales workers need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with less than 5 years of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is first-line supervisors of retail sales workers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of first-line supervisors of retail sales workers to change -3.7% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 113,500 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay first-line supervisors of retail sales workers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Washington ($60,750), Rhode Island ($58,570), District of Columbia ($58,470). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.