How much does a salesperson make?
Answer: A typical salesperson in the United States makes $48,280 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 93,000 people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Salesperson pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $29,720 | $48,280 | $97,910 | about 93,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $75,100 | about 3,000 |
| New Jersey | $74,520 | about 4,000 |
| Colorado | $60,670 | about 6,000 |
| Utah | $59,170 | about 810 |
| New York | $55,270 | about 1,000 |
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., pay can differ with experience, useful skills or licenses, the employer and industry, and local demand and living costs. More complex work, hours worked, and commission or results-based pay can also change earnings.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a salesperson do?
All sales and related workers not listed separately.
What's a typical day like?
Each day depends on the specialty: a salesperson may find buyers, prepare a pitch, explain or show an item or service, and answer questions. They may also record sales or follow up with interested customers.
How to get this job
In the U.S., a high-school diploma or equivalent is the usual entry point, and related experience is not required for this catch-all. There is no one starting age or license for every role, so check the exact job and state for any required course or exam.
Did you know?
Surprise: this U.S. catch-all sales category includes both auctioneers and blood-donor recruiters—very different kinds of sales-related work!
Earn more in the same field
Sales jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/soc/2018/major_groups.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-and-training-by-occupation.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2011/summer/art03.pdf
- www.bls.gov/ors/factsheet/sales-and-related-occupations.htm
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY