The PayScale Index (US): Trends in Compensation

2012: The holidays did not bring about a pay boost for retail workers, but the post-holiday season did, as pay grew 0.9 percent over the previous quarter. With this growth, pay for retail jobs is at its highest level in over three years.

2007-2011: In 2007, wages for retail jobs rose in line with overall national trends, gaining about 3 percent. However, the recession hit this job category earlier than most, with wages going flat for all of 2008. The first two quarters of 2009 saw a drop of about 1.5 percent, similar to the national average. From mid-2009 through 2011, the retail jobs category saw wages move in a narrow range, dropping slightly at the end of 2011.

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Retail (SOC Codes 41-1011.00 First-Line Supervisors of Sales Workers; 41-2000.00 Retail Sales Workers) jobs are about selling in a retail setting. These workers will take your money (e.g. cashiers) and help you find the right item (e.g. parts counter clerks). These jobs are predominantly found in the retail industry. Consumer sales jobs with a service slant (e.g., insurance and travel agents) are tracked in the sales jobs category.

The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) system is used by Federal statistical agencies to classify workers into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, or disseminating data. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The PayScale Index tracks quarterly changes in total cash compensation for full-time, private industry employees in the United States. In addition to a national index, it includes separate indices for specific industries, metropolitan areas, job categories, and company sizes. The PayScale Index uses 2006 average total cash compensation as a baseline.

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