National Salary Info » Retail Salespersons

Highest Paying Industries for Retail Salespersons

The top 100 highest paying industries for retail salespersons (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $63,270, insurance carriers is the highest paying industry for retail salespersons. It is followed by ship and boat building industry (average annual salary $43,700). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of retail salespersons in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Retail Salespersons

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Insurance Carriers	$63,270	$19,420	90
2	Ship and Boat Building	$43,700	$18,800	50
3	Water, Sewage and Other Systems	$40,340	$18,090	40
4	Natural Gas Distribution	$39,160	$18,700	n/a
5	Metal and Mineral (except Petroleum) Merchant Wholesalers	$38,630	$19,380	310
6	Automobile Dealers	$37,570	$18,490	253,850
7	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$37,170	$21,780	1,160
8	Wood Kitchen Cabinet and Countertop Manufacturing	$36,670	$23,640	210
9	Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing	$36,590	$18,480	360
10	Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	$35,850	$21,970	1,070
11	Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities	$35,850	$21,970	1,070
12	Support Activities for Water Transportation	$34,690	$22,060	30
13	Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$34,310	$18,380	5,230
14	Automotive Mechanical and Electrical Repair and Maintenance	$34,010	$18,210	1,900
15	Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing	$33,990	$19,140	400
16	Lumber and Other Construction Materials Merchant Wholesalers	$33,890	$18,970	1,730
17	Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers	$33,510	$18,030	530
18	Plastics Product Manufacturing	$33,400	$18,080	70
19	Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$33,340	$18,390	2,560
20	Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers	$33,280	$18,070	359,470
21	Office Furniture (including Fixtures) Manufacturing	$32,990	$18,020	70
22	Other Automotive Repair and Maintenance	$32,950	$18,560	850
23	Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing	$32,820	$18,240	40
24	Residential Building Construction	$32,740	$17,600	760
25	Other Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	$32,550	$18,110	420
26	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$32,390	$22,700	30
27	Waste Management and Remediation Services	$32,140	$16,160	n/a
28	Farm and Garden Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers	$32,140	$17,960	2,030
29	Automotive Repair and Maintenance	$31,840	$18,260	3,800
30	Mining	$31,370	$17,960	n/a
31	Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$30,850	$18,490	2,260
32	Construction of Buildings	$30,850	$17,420	930
33	Commercial and Industrial Machinery Equipment (except Auto and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance	$30,750	$17,830	450
34	Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing	$30,550	$18,670	1,060
35	Other Motor Vehicle Dealers	$30,520	$18,310	32,990
36	Depository Credit Intermediation	$30,510	$18,190	90
37	Utilities	$30,340	$17,750	130
38	Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing	$30,310	$17,230	170
39	Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	$30,240	$17,970	27,960
40	Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services	$30,160	$17,870	680
41	Building Finishing Contractors	$29,900	$18,440	1,760
42	Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$29,640	$17,500	6,120
43	General Rental Centers	$29,450	$18,130	680
44	Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	$29,170	$17,920	1,490
45	General Freight Trucking	$28,940	$18,430	200
46	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$28,860	$17,230	310
47	Truck Transportation	$28,750	$18,980	400
48	Specialized Freight Trucking	$28,660	$20,020	200
49	Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing	$28,530	$19,640	40
50	Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$28,530	$19,740	n/a
51	Other Building Equipment Contractors	$28,450	$18,440	150
52	Newspaper Publishers	$28,440	$17,840	210
53	Security Systems Services	$28,330	$18,310	820
54	Repair and Maintenance	$28,280	$17,700	7,410
55	Specialty Trade Contractors	$28,280	$18,060	5,190
56	Household and Institutional Furniture and Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturing	$28,260	$18,580	580
57	Household Appliances and Electrical and Electronic Goods Merchant Wholesalers	$28,190	$17,850	3,360
58	Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing	$28,190	$17,580	130
59	Investigation and Security Services	$28,170	$18,280	830
60	Construction	$28,090	$17,850	6,390
61	Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing	$28,080	$22,210	80
62	Other Specialty Trade Contractors	$28,080	$17,910	1,410
63	Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite)	$28,060	$17,860	17,710
64	Other Wood Product Manufacturing	$27,960	$17,690	530
65	Automotive Body, Paint, Interior, and Glass Repair	$27,930	$18,080	1,040
66	Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors	$27,780	$18,240	520
67	Building Equipment Contractors	$27,730	$17,860	1,570
68	Federal government, including USPS	$27,700	$21,790	3,210
69	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$27,700	$21,790	3,210
70	Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors	$27,530	$17,630	900
71	Wood Product Manufacturing	$27,520	$17,740	710
72	Offices of Physicians	$27,480	$17,630	180
73	Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing	$27,400	$17,640	1,470
74	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Local government owned	$27,390	$17,740	170
75	Textile Furnishings Mills	$27,160	$18,740	140
76	Telecommunications	$27,100	$17,770	23,590
77	Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing	$27,070	$18,530	1,630
78	Furniture Stores	$27,000	$17,910	89,350
79	Furniture and Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers	$26,970	$17,270	1,200
80	Information	$26,930	$17,760	24,720
81	Outpatient Care Centers	$26,920	$18,500	90
82	Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers	$26,840	$18,170	580
83	Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance	$26,670	$17,380	1,440
84	Other Information Services	$26,660	$19,520	180
85	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$26,600	$18,040	390
86	Junior colleges - State government owned	$26,560	$17,460	240
87	Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers	$26,300	$18,510	n/a
88	Wired Telecommunications Carriers	$26,230	$17,510	1,650
89	Business schools and computer and management training - Privately owned	$26,190	$17,440	n/a
90	Business Schools and Computer and Management Training	$26,190	$17,440	n/a
91	Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant Wholesalers	$26,120	$17,840	5,210
92	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$26,000	$18,260	7,910
93	Federal, State, and Local Government	$26,000	$18,260	7,910
94	Machinery Manufacturing	$26,000	$16,520	130
95	Offices of Optometrists	$25,920	$17,610	950
96	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$25,820	$18,260	2,910
97	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$25,820	$17,890	990
98	State government, including schools and hospitals	$25,810	$18,250	4,030
99	Wholesale Trade	$25,790	$17,600	58,090
100	Elementary and Secondary Schools	$25,710	$17,710	310