Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$33,120
- 25th Percentile — Junior$38,590
- 50th Percentile — Median$48,520
- 75th Percentile — Senior$62,130
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$77,080
The top 10% of First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers earn $77,080 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $33,120, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
What First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers Do
Role, training and entry requirements
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers oversee sales associates and cashiers. They schedule staff, train employees, handle customer problems, track inventory and sales targets, and often step in to help on the sales floor.
How to become one
Most are promoted from retail sales jobs, and experience is usually more important than education. Larger retailers may run formal management training programs.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $64,570 | +21.0% |
| District of Columbia | $61,990 | +16.1% |
| Rhode Island | $61,920 | +16.0% |
| New York | $61,870 | +15.9% |
| South Dakota | $61,860 | +15.9% |
| Colorado | $61,600 | +15.4% |
| New Jersey | $60,440 | +13.2% |
| Massachusetts | $59,510 | +11.5% |
| Alaska | $59,190 | +10.9% |
| Connecticut | $58,860 | +10.3% |
| New Hampshire | $58,060 | +8.8% |
| Hawaii | $57,810 | +8.3% |
| Maine | $57,150 | +7.1% |
| California | $57,140 | +7.0% |
| Vermont | $57,060 | +6.9% |
| Oregon | $56,970 | +6.7% |
| Delaware | $56,540 | +5.9% |
| North Dakota | $55,110 | +3.2% |
| Wisconsin | $54,360 | +1.8% |
| Montana | $53,880 | +0.9% |
| Minnesota | $53,670 | +0.5% |
| Virginia | $53,560 | +0.3% |
| Illinois | $53,330 | -0.1% |
| Utah | $52,980 | -0.7% |
| North Carolina | $52,910 | -0.9% |
| Florida | $52,730 | -1.2% |
| Nevada | $52,260 | -2.1% |
| Tennessee | $51,960 | -2.7% |
| Maryland | $51,810 | -2.9% |
| Wyoming | $51,420 | -3.7% |
| South Carolina | $51,400 | -3.7% |
| Arizona | $51,290 | -3.9% |
| New Mexico | $51,030 | -4.4% |
| Indiana | $50,970 | -4.5% |
| Idaho | $50,950 | -4.6% |
| Iowa | $50,950 | -4.6% |
| Georgia | $50,690 | -5.0% |
| Missouri | $50,360 | -5.7% |
| Pennsylvania | $50,300 | -5.8% |
| Michigan | $49,860 | -6.6% |
| Kansas | $49,780 | -6.7% |
| Texas | $49,420 | -7.4% |
| Nebraska | $49,310 | -7.6% |
| Oklahoma | $48,960 | -8.3% |
| Alabama | $48,790 | -8.6% |
| Ohio | $48,670 | -8.8% |
| Mississippi | $48,500 | -9.1% |
| Louisiana | $46,360 | -13.2% |
| Kentucky | $45,750 | -14.3% |
| West Virginia | $44,620 | -16.4% |
| Arkansas | $44,460 | -16.7% |
What Factors Affect First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: Washington pays an average of $64,570, while Arkansas pays $44,460 — a gap of $20,110 per year.
Store size, sales volume, and the type of merchandise all affect pay, and many supervisors receive bonuses tied to store performance. Moving up to store or district manager is the main route to higher earnings.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
- Sales Reps Wholesale and Manufacturing $82,530/yr United States +54.6% vs this role
- Cashiers $33,180/yr United States 37.8% vs this role
- Retail Salespersons $37,310/yr United States 30.1% vs this role
- Advertising Sales Agents $80,670/yr United States +51.1% vs this role
- Insurance Sales Agents $81,480/yr United States +52.6% vs this role
- Securities Commodities Financial Services Sales $109,150/yr United States +104.5% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States +90.0% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +157.2% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers?
The average salary for First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers in the United States is $53,380 per year, with a median of $48,520.
What is the starting salary for First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers?
Entry-level First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers typically earn between $33,120 and $38,590 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers the most?
Washington pays First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers the most at $64,570 per year on average, followed by District of Columbia ($61,990) and Rhode Island ($61,920).
How much do First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $53,380, First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers earn approximately $25.66 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 1,121,800 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $53,380 and a median of $48,520 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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