Average Retail Sales Associate Hourly Pay

The top respondents for the job title Retail Sales Associate are from the companies Wal-Mart Stores, Inc, The Home Depot Inc. and Macy's, Inc.. Reported salaries are highest at The Home Depot Inc. where the average pay is $11.42. Other companies that offer high salaries for this role include Wal-Mart Stores, Inc and T-Mobile, Inc., earning around $11.12 and $10.95, respectively. JCPenney pays the lowest at around $9.50. Macy's, Inc. and Kohl's Department Stores Inc also pay on the lower end of the scale, paying $9.71 and $9.76, respectively.

Skills in Customer Service, Customer Relations and Client Interaction are correlated to pay that is above average. Skills that pay less than market rate include Cash Handling and Retail.

An entry-level Retail Sales Associate with less than 1 year experience can expect to earn an average total compensation (includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of $9.82 based on 2,596 salaries. An early career Retail Sales Associate with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $10.21 based on 4,907 salaries. A mid-career Retail Sales Associate with 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $11.11 based on 1,909 salaries. An experienced Retail Sales Associate with 10-19 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $12.07 based on 1,414 salaries. In their late career (20 years and higher), employees earn an average total compensation of $13.

Employees with Retail Sales Associate in their job title in New York, New York earn an average of 17.9% more than the national average. These job titles also find higher than average salaries in Los Angeles, California (13.1% more) and Chicago, Illinois (5.6% more). The lowest salaries can be found in Orlando, Florida (5.4% less) and Houston, Texas (1.6% less).