Retail Salespersons Salary in Chicago, IL (2024)
Retail Salespersons in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn a median of $34,910 per year ($16.78 per hour) based on 102,320 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +1.0% against the national median of $34,580 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where retail salespersons actually sit across the pay range in Chicago, IL, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $14.41 | $29,970 | |
| 25th percentile | $14.91 | $31,010 | |
| Median | $16.78 | $34,910 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $18.14 | $37,730 | |
| 90th percentile | $23.26 | $48,390 | |
| Average (mean) | $18.67 | $38,840 |
How Chicago, IL compares
The local median of $34,910 runs +1.0% above the US median of $34,580 for this occupation; it pays 32.2% less than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($51,510); within the metro it ranks 671st of 700 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL — this occupation | $34,910 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $34,580 | +1.0% |
| Chicago, IL — all occupations | $51,510 | -32.2% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $42,490 | -17.8% |
The location quotient of 0.93 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 1.3%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 671st of 700 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Chicago, IL
To put $34,910 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 671st.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $234,440 | 1,420 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $221,790 | 80 |
| Physicians, All Other | $215,680 | 14,850 |
| Pediatricians, General | $198,440 | 1,120 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $184,930 | 840 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $182,830 | 1,200 |
| Dentists, General | $175,140 | 3,980 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $168,230 | 21,760 |
| Lawyers | $166,090 | 28,380 |
| Financial Managers | $164,470 | 41,170 |
Where retail salespersons earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $30,260 to $42,490. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $42,490 | 37,380 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $39,180 | 48,310 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $37,500 | 39,120 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $37,350 | 212,470 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $36,770 | 27,440 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $36,600 | 31,420 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $36,580 | 122,120 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $36,570 | 62,540 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $35,730 | 65,060 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $35,600 | 47,320 |
See the full national picture on the Retail Salespersons salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for retail salespersons in Chicago, IL?
The median annual wage is $34,910, or $17 per hour. That means half of the retail salespersons working in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $38,840.
What do the highest and lowest paid retail salespersons in Chicago, IL earn?
The bottom 10% earn $29,970 or less, while the top 10% earn $48,390 or more — a spread of $18,420 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $31,010 and $37,730.
Is retail salespersons pay in Chicago, IL above the local average?
Yes, it is 32.2% below the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $51,510. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Chicago, IL pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $34,910 the metro median is 1.0% higher than the US median of $34,580 for retail salespersons. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $30,260 to $42,490.
How many retail salespersons work in Chicago, IL?
BLS counts about 102,320 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 22.87 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. The location quotient of 0.93 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 2.4%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.