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The average key holder salary reflects a typical pay range across various regions and sectors. As of October 2025, key holders earn about $31,779 per year, or $15 per hour. This role typically involves responsibilities such as opening and closing the store, supervising employees, and handling customer service issues. Key holders often work in retail environments, requiring strong leadership and organizational skills.
Salary can vary significantly based on several factors:
Exploring salary estimates by state can provide insights into where key holders earn the most. For instance, states like California and New York typically offer competitive salaries due to their larger markets.
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The highest-paying states for key holders are Wisconsin, New York, and Massachusetts. The lowest average key holder salary states are Louisiana, Texas, and New Mexico.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $36,995 | $17.79 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | $40,607 | $19.52 |
| 3 | New York | $39,786 | $19.13 |
| 4 | Georgia | $35,803 | $17.21 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $36,508 | $17.55 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $39,110 | $18.80 |
| 7 | Michigan | $32,301 | $15.53 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $36,306 | $17.45 |
| 9 | Indiana | $32,554 | $15.65 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $35,786 | $17.20 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $36,142 | $17.38 |
| 12 | Maine | $32,212 | $15.49 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $41,587 | $19.99 |
| 14 | Washington | $36,269 | $17.44 |
| 15 | Vermont | $34,774 | $16.72 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $37,730 | $18.14 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $33,433 | $16.07 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $32,023 | $15.40 |
| 19 | Delaware | $33,237 | $15.98 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $31,370 | $15.08 |
| 21 | Illinois | $33,011 | $15.87 |
| 22 | Ohio | $30,827 | $14.82 |
| 23 | Kansas | $31,942 | $15.36 |
| 24 | Colorado | $33,996 | $16.34 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $29,001 | $13.94 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $32,407 | $15.58 |
| 27 | Montana | $32,889 | $15.81 |
| 28 | Oregon | $32,695 | $15.72 |
| 29 | Utah | $31,549 | $15.17 |
| 30 | Iowa | $31,246 | $15.02 |
| 31 | California | $33,333 | $16.03 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $28,501 | $13.70 |
| 33 | Virginia | $31,281 | $15.04 |
| 34 | Florida | $29,364 | $14.12 |
| 35 | Idaho | $31,335 | $15.06 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $28,675 | $13.79 |
| 37 | Alabama | $27,620 | $13.28 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $27,307 | $13.13 |
| 39 | Alaska | $31,457 | $15.12 |
| 40 | Nevada | $29,089 | $13.99 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $27,163 | $13.06 |
| 42 | Maryland | $29,956 | $14.40 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $27,674 | $13.30 |
| 44 | Missouri | $28,072 | $13.50 |
| 45 | Arizona | $29,031 | $13.96 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $25,348 | $12.19 |
| 47 | Texas | $26,664 | $12.82 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $24,623 | $11.84 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $27,808 | $13.37 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $22,870 | $11.00 |
| 51 | New Mexico | $25,446 | $12.23 |
The highest-paying cities for key holders are New York, NY, Burlington, MA, and Urban Honolulu, HI.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $39,768 | $19.12 |
| 2 | Burlington, MA | $39,127 | $18.81 |
| 3 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $37,762 | $18.15 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $36,457 | $17.53 |
| 5 | Bloomington, MN | $36,233 | $17.42 |
| 6 | Paramus, NJ | $35,956 | $17.29 |
| 7 | Atlanta, GA | $35,725 | $17.18 |
| 8 | San Francisco, CA | $34,819 | $16.74 |
| 9 | Denver, CO | $34,019 | $16.36 |
| 10 | Newark, DE | $33,228 | $15.97 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $33,105 | $15.92 |
| 12 | Troy, MI | $32,404 | $15.58 |
| 13 | Indianapolis, IN | $32,396 | $15.57 |
| 14 | Richmond, VA | $31,244 | $15.02 |
| 15 | Pittsburgh, PA | $30,898 | $14.85 |
| 16 | Columbus, OH | $30,520 | $14.67 |
| 17 | Annapolis, MD | $29,927 | $14.39 |
| 18 | Miami, FL | $29,460 | $14.16 |
| 19 | Phoenix, AZ | $29,041 | $13.96 |
| 20 | Las Vegas, NV | $28,842 | $13.87 |
Key Holders are the most in-demand in these five cities:
A key holder's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $39,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
| 75th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
| Average | $31,779 | $2,648 | $15 |
| 25th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
The highest paying types of key holders are sales leader, associate/team lead, and senior sales associate.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manager Trainee | $49,193 | $4,099 | $23.65 | 38,663 |
| Sales Leader | $68,699 | $5,725 | $33.03 | 458,558 |
| Store Leader | $36,979 | $3,082 | $17.78 | 363,806 |
| Sales Clerk | $25,739 | $2,145 | $12.37 | 372,651 |
| Key Carrier | $32,262 | $2,689 | $15.51 | 82,534 |
| Key Holder/Manager | $35,371 | $2,948 | $17.01 | 177,394 |
Top companies hiring key holders now:
Key holder salaries at Connecticut Children's Medical Center and L'Oréal are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average key holder salary at companies like Abercrombie & Fitch Co and Amazon are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut Children's Medical Center | $34,852 | $16.76 |
| 2 | L'Oréal | $34,453 | $16.56 |
| 3 | Abercrombie & Fitch Co | $34,387 | $16.53 |
| 4 | Amazon | $33,700 | $16.20 |
| 5 | Nestlé | $33,657 | $16.18 |
| 6 | The Walt Disney Company | $33,593 | $16.15 |
| 7 | The Home Store | $33,467 | $16.09 |
| 8 | Vera Bradley | $33,323 | $16.02 |
| 9 | Brighton Collectibles | $33,268 | $15.99 |
| 10 | Michael Kors | $33,253 | $15.99 |
| 11 | Jordan's Furniture | $33,126 | $15.93 |
| 12 | Chico Hot Springs | $32,813 | $15.78 |
| 13 | Tory Burch | $32,613 | $15.68 |
| 14 | Edible Arrangements | $32,609 | $15.68 |
| 15 | Hudson Group | $32,538 | $15.64 |
| 16 | MOD Pizza | $32,351 | $15.55 |
| 17 | Filson | $32,314 | $15.54 |
| 18 | City of Eden Prairie | $32,255 | $15.51 |
| 19 | Rebecca School | $32,207 | $15.48 |
| 20 | Kendra Scott | $32,180 | $15.47 |
The average key holder salary has risen by $3,898 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average key holder earned $27,881 annually, but today, they earn $31,779 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for key holders over the last decade.
Compare key holder salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare key holder salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $31,800 | $15.28 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | $30,800 | $14.83 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | $30,300 | $14.56 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $29,500 | $14.16 | -1.3% |
| 2021 | $29,800 | $14.34 | +1.9% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gomart | Key Holder | Green Bay, WI | 06/30/2025 | $25,044 |
| Skechers | Retail Key Holder | Las Vegas, NV | 06/29/2025 | $33,079 |
| Skechers | Retail Key Holder | Elizabeth, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $38,776 |
| Skechers | Retail Key Holder | Littleton, CO | 06/29/2025 | $37,629 |
| Skechers | Retail Key Holder | Houston, TX | 06/29/2025 | $34,143 |
| Vera Bradley, Inc. | Key Holder | Chicago, IL | 06/29/2025 | $32,995 |
| Vera Bradley, Inc. | Key Holder | Grove City, PA | 06/29/2025 | $28,195 |
| Vince LLC | Key Holder | Greenwich, CT | 06/29/2025 | $35,479 |
| Claire's | Key Holder Claire's Hickory 18+ | Hickory, NC | 06/29/2025 | $19,827 |
| Claire's | Icing 3299 Supervisor/3Rd Key Holder Sunvalley Mall | Concord, CA | 06/29/2025 | $37,566 |
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