Best-Paying Jobs in Retail (May 2025 BLS Wage Data)
- The median wage across all jobs in retail trade was $36,880 in May 2025, below the $50,980 median for all U.S. jobs.
- The sector employed about 15,503,410 wage and salary workers.
- Its best-paid large occupation was medical and health services managers, at a median of $161,490.
Pay depends on what you do and on who you do it for. This breakdown uses the BLS OEWS industry data, May 2025 (NAICS sector 44-45: Retail Trade) to show which jobs pay best in retail, which jobs are open to people without a four-year degree, and what the most common jobs pay. Education levels come from BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Highest-paying jobs in the sector
Occupations with at least 5,000 jobs in the sector, ranked by median annual wage. The last column is the median for the same job across all industries (from the national cross-industry estimates).
| Occupation | Sector median | Jobs in sector | All-industry median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $161,490 | 6,390 | $123,860 |
| Optometrists | $159,250 | 6,020 | $136,570 |
| Financial Managers | $146,420 | 18,810 | $166,570 |
| Pharmacists | $134,940 | 163,000 | $140,910 |
| Software Developers | $134,930 | 7,610 | $135,980 |
| Marketing Managers | $132,880 | 10,230 | $166,790 |
| Loan Officers | $103,260 | 12,290 | $76,690 |
| Sales Managers | $100,000 | 106,760 | $148,270 |
| Administrative Services Managers | $84,830 | 5,110 | $114,130 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $83,040 | 11,370 | $107,230 |
Best-paying jobs here without a bachelor’s degree
Occupations where BLS lists a high school diploma, certificate, some college or an associate’s degree as typical for entry:
| Occupation | Sector median | Jobs in sector | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $83,040 | 11,370 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Hearing Aid Specialists | $75,300 | 7,470 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $68,630 | 5,540 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $66,570 | 76,310 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | $62,830 | 11,210 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $61,400 | 25,090 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $58,930 | 96,600 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $58,120 | 72,990 | High school diploma or equivalent |
The most common jobs in the sector
| Occupation | Median | Jobs | Share of sector jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | $35,380 | 3,550,380 | 22.9% |
| Cashiers | $33,070 | 2,552,720 | 16.47% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,060 | 1,828,300 | 11.79% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | $48,220 | 997,650 | 6.44% |
| General and Operations Managers | $75,860 | 443,920 | 2.86% |
| Customer Service Representatives | $37,350 | 411,850 | 2.66% |
| Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics | $50,330 | 355,520 | 2.29% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $37,040 | 354,030 | 2.28% |
What this means for your pay
- Same job, different industry, different pay. Compare the sector median with the all-industry median for your job. If your sector pays below the national figure, the same skills may earn more elsewhere.
- Medians, not starting pay. Half of workers earn more than the median and half less; new hires usually start lower.
- Base wages only. OEWS excludes overtime, tips and most bonuses, so jobs with heavy overtime often pay more in practice.
Published October 28, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original chart by JobPayRaise.com using BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
Comments (1)
For contrast, from the same survey: the lowest-paid occupation in this sector with at least 20,000 jobs was hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists, at a median of $30,870 ($14.84 an hour) across 31,950 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS industry data, May 2025.
— JobPayRaise Data Desk