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The national median salary for First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers is $48,526 per year ($23.33/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $38,584 and $62,130 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $77,085 per year. There are approximately 1,121,800 first-line supervisors of retail sales workers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of retail sales workers in an establishment or department. Duties may include management functions, such as purchasing, budgeting, accounting, and personnel work, in addition to supervisory duties.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-5.0%
Slower than average
Annual openings
125K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
1.4M
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
General Merchandise Retailers
NAICS 455000
207K
$47,190
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only)
NAICS 4450A1
171K
$50,690
Gasoline Stations
NAICS 457100
102K
$43,150
Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers
NAICS 458100
90K
$46,140
Building Material and Supplies Dealers
NAICS 444100
84K
$53,880
Wage range across top 5 industries: $43,150 to $53,880 (25% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$15.92
$33,114
P25
$18.55
$38,584
P50MEDIAN
$23.33
$48,526
P75
$29.87
$62,130
P90
$37.06
$77,085
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · retail sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.6%
Quits Rate
3.1%
Retail openings rose to 737K (+52K) in March, rate up to 4.6%. Hires increased to 684K (+73K). Frontline turnover persists with quit rate at 3.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average first-line supervisors of retail sales workers salary?
The national median salary for First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers is $48,526 per year ($23.33/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $38,584 and $62,130 annually.
How much do top-earning first-line supervisors of retail sales workers make?
The 90th percentile salary for First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers is $77,085 per year ($37.06/hr). The 75th percentile is $62,130 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for first-line supervisors of retail sales workers?
Entry-level First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers (10th percentile) earn approximately $33,114 per year ($15.92/hr). The 25th percentile is $38,584 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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