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Retail clerk salary

Average retail clerk salary

$14.45

$30,046 yearly

Entry-level retail clerk salary
$23,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Average Retail Clerk Salary

The average retail clerk salary in the United States is approximately $30,046 annually or about $14.45 per hour. This figure can fluctuate based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific retail sector. Retail clerks in states like Washington, California, and Massachusetts often see higher salaries compared to their counterparts in other regions.

How Much Does a Retail Clerk Make?

Retail clerks play an essential role in customer service, and their salaries reflect the demand for their skills. Entry-level positions typically offer lower wages, while experienced clerks can command higher pay, particularly in specialized sectors such as electronics or luxury goods.

Where Can a Retail Clerk Earn More?

Some of the highest-paying states for retail clerks include:

  • Washington
  • California
  • Massachusetts

These states tend to have a higher cost of living, which is often reflected in the wages offered. Retail clerks can also enhance their earning potential by seeking positions in larger retail chains or by gaining additional certifications that highlight their skills.

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Where can a Retail Clerk earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
55k
35k
15k
-5k
Columbus, OH$36,169
Columbus, OH$24,785
Compare salary by company
Vs
61k
41k
21k
1k
Bellevue Jr/Sr High School$39,806
Polaris$31,391

Retail clerk salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor and Comparably, the average salary for a retail clerk typically falls between $24,175 and $39,174.
zippia
$30,046yearly
glassdoor[1]
$39,174yearly
comparably[2]
$24,175yearly
Salary.com[3]
$31,566yearly

Average retail clerk salary by state

The average retail clerk salary in Rhode Island, Alaska, and Hawaii are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average retail clerk salary states are Alabama, Georgia, and Texas.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for retail clerks

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1New Hampshire$34,812$16.74
2Vermont$36,044$17.33
3Maine$30,680$14.75
4Rhode Island$37,299$17.93
5North Dakota$34,996$16.82
6Massachusetts$34,394$16.54
7Washington$35,942$17.28
8Alaska$37,214$17.89
9New York$33,472$16.09
10Oregon$33,701$16.20
11Idaho$33,153$15.94
12Wisconsin$29,632$14.25
13Utah$29,994$14.42
14Michigan$27,679$13.31
15Minnesota$30,580$14.70
16South Dakota$32,168$15.47
17California$33,513$16.11
18Hawaii$37,137$17.85
19Pennsylvania$27,323$13.14
20Indiana$27,750$13.34
21Wyoming$30,087$14.46
22Colorado$31,179$14.99
23Illinois$29,328$14.10
24Connecticut$30,575$14.70
25Delaware$29,801$14.33
26Mississippi$26,454$12.72
27Oklahoma$26,618$12.80
28Nevada$29,423$14.15
29New Jersey$29,884$14.37
30Tennessee$25,582$12.30
31West Virginia$25,531$12.27
32Arkansas$26,613$12.79
33Kentucky$25,341$12.18
34Missouri$26,967$12.96
35North Carolina$26,382$12.68
36District of Columbia$31,572$15.18
37Arizona$28,247$13.58
38Montana$28,378$13.64
39South Carolina$26,048$12.52
40Ohio$25,079$12.06
41Kansas$26,251$12.62
42Iowa$26,464$12.72
43Nebraska$26,605$12.79
44Maryland$26,117$12.56
45Alabama$24,929$11.99
46Texas$24,834$11.94
47Louisiana$22,773$10.95
48Georgia$24,861$11.95
49Florida$24,056$11.57
50Virginia$25,336$12.18
51New Mexico$24,637$11.84

Highest paying cities for retail clerks

The highest-paying cities for retail clerks are Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA, and Buffalo, NY.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Seattle, WA$36,169$17.39
2San Francisco, CA$34,640$16.65
3Buffalo, NY$34,236$16.46
4Westminster, CO$31,220$15.01
5Stevens Point, WI$30,266$14.55
6Salt Lake City, UT$29,962$14.40
7Mount Laurel, NJ$29,325$14.10
8Las Vegas, NV$29,304$14.09
9Sterling Heights, MI$27,795$13.36
10Indianapolis, IN$27,561$13.25
11Kansas City, MO$27,068$13.01
12Oklahoma City, OK$26,651$12.81
13Little Rock, AR$26,549$12.76
14Raleigh, NC$26,541$12.76
15Davenport, IA$26,521$12.75
16Kansas City, KS$26,360$12.67
17El Paso, TX$25,985$12.49
18Chesapeake, VA$25,064$12.05
19Atlanta, GA$24,975$12.01
20Columbus, OH$24,785$11.92

Retail clerk salary details

A retail clerk's salary ranges from $23,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $38,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average retail clerk salary graph
Average retail clerk salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a retail clerk's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$38,000$3,167$18
75th Percentile$34,000$2,833$16
Average$30,046$2,504$14
25th Percentile$26,000$2,167$13
10th Percentile$23,000$1,917$11

Highest paying retail clerk jobs

The highest paying types of retail clerks are retail sales specialist, retail sales consultant, and retail sales lead.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Sales Team Member$33,827$2,819$16.26585,314
Cashier$28,144$2,345$13.53456,110
Retail Sales Representative$37,907$3,159$18.22391,763
Retail Sales Consultant$42,323$3,527$20.35290,980
Retail Representative$31,790$2,649$15.28402,132
Shop Clerk$34,468$2,872$16.57106,275

Which companies pay retail clerks the most?

Retail clerk salaries at Bellevue Jr/Sr High School and Steel Dynamics are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average retail clerk salary at companies like University of Washington and Hyatt Hotels are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Bellevue Jr/Sr High School$39,806$19.14
2Steel Dynamics$39,295$18.89
3University of Washington$37,025$17.80
4Hyatt Hotels$36,958$17.77
5Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort$34,523$16.60
6Santa Rosa High School$34,426$16.55
7Sierra Nevada$33,874$16.29
8Compass Group USA$33,178$15.95
9Fruit of the Loom$33,083$15.91
10Hudson Group$32,883$15.81
11NOVAworks$32,744$15.74
12Anastasia Beverly Hills$32,576$15.66
13In-N-Out Burger$32,534$15.64
14Morgan$32,383$15.57
15League City Planning$32,247$15.50
16Vintage Wine Estates$32,181$15.47
17Montage Hotels & Resorts$32,174$15.47
18Mirabito$31,796$15.29
19Nike$31,512$15.15
20Polaris$31,391$15.09

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$32,000$31,400$30,800$30,200$29,600$29,000
MaleFemale

Retail clerk salary trends

The average retail clerk salary has risen by $6,735 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average retail clerk earned $23,311 annually, but today, they earn $30,046 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for retail clerks over the last decade.

Compare retail clerk salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average retail clerk salary over time

Compare retail clerk salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Retail clerk salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$30,000$14.45+6.8%
2024$28,000$13.47+4.2%
2023$26,900$12.91+4.1%
2022$25,800$12.38+2.3%
2021$25,200$12.10+4.0%

Recently added retail clerk salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Meijer, Inc.Retail Merchandise ClerkOlde West Chester, OH06/29/2025$29,218
Bridgestone CorporationRetail SalespersonPearl, MS06/28/2025$29,114
Guest ServicesRetail Clerk-Sunrise Day Lodge-Summer SeasonalPony, MT06/28/2025$36,001
Meijer Stores LPRetail Merchandise ClerkOlde West Chester, OH06/28/2025$29,218
Nordstrom Inc.Retail Sales-Indochino Shop SalespersonSpokane, WA06/27/2025$35,375
Bridgestone CorporationRetail SalespersonHooksett, NH06/27/2025$32,349
Bridgestone CorporationRetail SalespersonMuscle Shoals, AL06/27/2025$30,742
Bridgestone CorporationRetail SalespersonColumbia, SC06/27/2025$29,114
Compass Group, North AmericaRetail Clerk-TQL StadiumCincinnati, OH06/27/2025$37,566
Napa Auto PartsRetail SalespersonTwin Falls, ID06/27/2025$33,392

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