Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
Less than 5 years
None
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers oversee retail teams and daily store operations while interacting directly with customers. This role combines leadership with hands-on customer service, making it a fit for people who like working with both people and processes. Nationally, there are about 1,433,000 jobs in this occupation, indicating a large employment base across the country. The national median annual salary is $47,320, with some states and metro areas offering higher median pay. The role draws heavily on skills such as customer service, leadership, interpersonal communication, and problem solving. Critical and analytical thinking, adaptability, and basic mathematics also play an important part in the work. Typical entry into this field requires a high school diploma or equivalent, which can make it relatively accessible for early-career workers and career changers. For those interested in supervisory responsibilities in retail environments, this occupation offers many positions and a clear focus on people-oriented skills.
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers earn a national median annual salary of $47,320, with notable variation by location. Several top states by CareerGPS opportunity score show higher median pay, including Washington at $60,750, New York at $58,300, Colorado at $58,200, and Massachusetts at $57,490. California’s median is $54,870. At the metro level, some areas stand out even more. The San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA metro reports a median salary of $61,710, while the San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA metro shows $58,950. The New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ area has a median salary of $58,930, and the Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH metro reports $58,850. These figures suggest that earning potential can be meaningfully higher in certain states and metro areas, making location a key factor for workers comparing compensation options in this career.
This occupation has a large current employment base, with about 1,433,000 first-line supervisors of retail sales workers employed nationally. Despite this, projected employment growth is -5.0%, indicating a decline in overall employment levels over the projection period. Even with a projected decrease in total jobs, there are an estimated 125,000 annual openings. These openings can come from a mix of factors such as workers changing occupations or leaving the labor force, rather than from overall job growth. The combination of a large existing workforce and significant annual openings means job seekers may still encounter many opportunities to enter or advance within this field, even as total employment is projected to fall. People considering this path can also explore related options such as food service managers, parts salespersons, or first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers as alternative career directions.
Location makes a clear difference for first-line supervisors of retail sales workers, both in pay and in overall opportunity scores. Among states, Washington has the highest listed median salary at $60,750, followed by New York at $58,300, Colorado at $58,200, Massachusetts at $57,490, and California at $54,870. California has the largest employment among these top states at 109,180, while New York and Washington also show substantial employment levels of 50,830 and 27,640 respectively. Massachusetts and Colorado have smaller, but still significant, employment counts. At the metro level, the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA area has both the highest opportunity score (77.42) and the highest median pay at $61,710. The New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ metro closely follows with an opportunity score of 77.27 and a median salary of $58,930. Other strong metros include San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA; Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV; and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH, each combining notable employment levels with solid median wages and opportunity scores.
Typical entry into first-line supervisor roles in retail sales requires a high school diploma or equivalent. This educational threshold can make the career accessible to individuals who do not have a college degree but are ready to take on responsibility for people and processes. Success in this field is closely tied to a specific skill set. Customer service and interpersonal skills are central, as supervisors interact with both customers and team members. Leadership and project management skills support oversight of daily activities and coordination of tasks. Problem solving and decision making, along with critical and analytical thinking, help supervisors respond effectively to challenges. Speaking and listening skills support clear communication, while adaptability allows supervisors to respond to changing situations. Mathematics skills are also part of the skill mix, alongside creativity and innovation, which can support new ideas for improving operations or customer experiences within a retail setting.
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