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 Target Corporation. Reported salaries are highest at The Home Depot Inc. where the average pay is $11.83. Other companies that offer high salaries for this role include T-Mobile, Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc, earning around $11.55 and $11.42, respectively. JCPenney pays the lowest at around $9.66. Kohl's Department Stores Inc and Macy's, Inc. also pay on the lower end of the scale, paying $10.04 and $10.04, respectively.

Skills in Customer Service, Customer Relations and Merchandising 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 $10.09 based on 733 salaries. An early career Retail Sales Associate with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $10.71 based on 3,919 salaries. A mid-career Retail Sales Associate with 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $11.47 based on 1,303 salaries. An experienced Retail Sales Associate with 10-19 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $12.23 based on 1,159 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 25.8% more than the national average. These job titles also find higher than average salaries in Los Angeles, California (21.4% more) and Chicago, Illinois (7.7% more). The lowest salaries can be found in Miami, Florida (8.9% less), Houston, Texas (3.9% less) and Las Vegas, Nevada (1.2% less).