Sales and Related · SOC 41-2021

Counter and Rental Clerks Salary (2024) — Pay by Metro Area

Counter and Rental Clerks earn a national median of $38,540 per year. Because pay tracks local labour markets, the same job ranges from $35,700 in the cheapest metro covered to $48,550 in the most expensive — a 36% gap for identical work. This page ranks 25 metro areas with released data.

US national median
$38,540
398,620 workers nationwide
Highest-paying metro
Los Angeles, CA
$38,420 median
Lowest-paying metro
Riverside, CA
$38,810 median
Metro spread
$12,850
between best and worst metro

Counter and Rental Clerks pay by metro area

Ranked by median annual wage among the metro areas with published estimates for this occupation. Local cost of living is not applied — a lower median in a cheaper metro can still leave more in your pocket.

Median hourly and annual wage for Counter and Rental Clerks by metro area, 2024. Hourly shown as annual ÷ 2,080.
Metro area Hourly Annual Employment
Los Angeles, CA — CA $18.47 $38,420 26,410
Seattle, WA — WA $23.34 $48,550 10,570
Denver, CO — CO $21.75 $45,230 8,240
Riverside, CA — CA $18.66 $38,810 6,390
What the spread means

The gap between Los Angeles, CA ($38,420) and Riverside, CA ($38,810) is -1% . For counter and rental clerks this mainly reflects industry mix and regional price levels rather than a difference in the work itself. The middle metro sits at $38,810, which is the better single number for a "typical" market than either extreme.

Frequently asked questions

How much do counter and rental clerks make in the United States?

The national median for this occupation is $38,540 per year, across all areas including non-metropolitan ones. Metro-level medians for this occupation range from $35,700 to $48,550, with a middle value of $38,810.

Which metro area pays counter and rental clerks the most?

Los Angeles, CA pays the most among the metros covered, at a median of $38,420, with about 26,410 people employed in the occupation.

Which metro area pays counter and rental clerks the least?

Riverside, CA sits at the bottom of the range, with a median of $38,810.

Do counter and rental clerks earn more in large cities?

Usually, but not always. Large metros tend to show higher nominal pay because they concentrate high-wage industries and a higher cost of living. The spread above is nominal — it is not adjusted for local prices, so a lower median in a cheaper metro can still buy more.

About these figures

Method and limits

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024. The US figure on this page is an employment-weighted benchmark computed across the metro areas covered by this site, not the official national OEWS median, which BLS publishes separately. OEWS excludes self-employed workers and reports wages only, not benefits or total compensation.

See the methodology for how the benchmark and the metro ranking are derived.

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