Retail Salespersons salary in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Retail Salespersons in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 Colorado tax rules.
The figures
The median Retail Salespersons in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area earns $38,470 a year ($18.50 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Retail Salespersons in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO earn between $36,660 and $44,570 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $34,700 or less and the top 10 percent earn $49,130 or more. BLS estimates 40,340 Retail Salespersons jobs in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area — 25.068 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1 (about the same concentration as the nation). That is 1.0% of all Retail Salespersons employment in the United States (3,897,860 jobs nationally). By employment, Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO is the #18 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Retail Salespersons. In aggregate, Retail Salespersons in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO earn about $1.69 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $34,772.02 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO Retail Salespersons is about $1.40 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 3.5% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO stands #3 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Retail Salespersons. By employment, Retail Salespersons is the #2 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO. Placed against the national distribution for Retail Salespersons, the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO median of $38,470 falls between the national median ($35,410) and the national 75th percentile ($38,670). Across all occupations, the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO median is $62,320 a year — Retail Salespersons pay is 38.3% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $20.18 | $41,980 |
| 10th percentile | $16.68 | $34,700 |
| 25th percentile | $17.63 | $36,660 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $18.50 | $38,470 |
| 75th percentile | $21.43 | $44,570 |
| 90th percentile | $23.62 | $49,130 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Retail Salespersons in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO earn 1.4 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($49,130 against $34,700). The middle half spans $7,910 — from $36,660 to $44,570. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($23.62) is 1.42 times the 10th ($16.68). In the upper half of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $44,570 takes home $36,739.32 and the 90th percentile wage of $49,130 takes home $40,202.38 — $3,463.06 more net for $4,560 more gross. Against the median take-home of $32,106.24, the top decile keeps 1.25 times as much. The mean wage of $41,980 sits 9.1% above the median: higher-paid Retail Salespersons pull the average up in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO. Among the 30 covered occupations in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, Retail Salespersons ranks #28 by median pay. In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO wage ladder of covered occupations, Retail Salespersons sits between Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners at $38,840 and Cashiers at $37,620. Retail Salespersons accounts for 2.5% of all employment in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area. The average covered metro employs 64,365 Retail Salespersons; Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO employs 0.6 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in Colorado
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in Colorado; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $38,470.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $2,436.40 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,385.14 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $557.81 |
| Colorado income tax | $984.28 |
| Total deductions | $6,363.76 |
| Net pay (annual) | $32,106.24 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,234.86 |
| Total deduction rate | 16.54% of gross |
At the median, $32,106.24 of the $38,470 gross is kept ($1,234.86 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 16.54%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 15.73% at the 10th percentile, 16.17% at the 25th percentile, 17.57% at the 75th percentile, 18.17% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $6,007.58 on a gross rise of $7,910.
The same engine at the other published points of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($34,700) | $29,242.86 | $1,124.73 | 15.73% |
| 25th percentile ($36,660) | $30,731.74 | $1,181.99 | 16.17% |
| Median ($38,470) | $32,106.24 | $1,234.86 | 16.54% |
| 75th percentile ($44,570) | $36,739.32 | $1,413.05 | 17.57% |
| 90th percentile ($49,130) | $40,202.38 | $1,546.25 | 18.17% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $29,242.86 a year at the 10th percentile to $40,202.38 at the 90th — a spread of $10,959.52 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO median wage of $62,320 takes home $50,220.38 a year ($1,931.55 per paycheck, deduction rate 19.42%). The Retail Salespersons median take-home of $32,106.24 sits $18,114.14 (below that area-wide figure.
Run your own numbers
Your own withholding depends on your Form W-4, your benefits and your other income — run your exact figures through the calculator:
Against the national median
Nationally, the median Retail Salespersons earns $35,410 a year ($17.03 an hour). The Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO median of $38,470 is $3,060 (8.6%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $41,980 a year in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO against $37,310 nationally, a gap of $4,670 (12.5%).
Set against the whole local market, the Retail Salespersons 90th percentile of $49,130 is 33% of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO all-occupations 90th percentile ($149,200), and its 10th percentile of $34,700 is 93% of the area-wide 10th ($37,490).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $38,470 | $18.50 | $41,980 |
| United States | $35,410 | $17.03 | $37,310 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Retail Salespersons in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?
$38,470 a year ($18.50 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $41,980 a year. Ranked by median pay, Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO stands #3 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $38,470 in Colorado?
About $32,106.24 a year ($1,234.86 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 16.54% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $44,570, take-home is $36,739.32.
How does pay in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO compare with the national median for Retail Salespersons?
The Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO median of $38,470 is $3,060 (8.6%) above the national median of $35,410 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $49,130, against a national 90th percentile of $47,890.
How much do the top 10% of Retail Salespersons earn in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?
$49,130 a year or more ($23.62 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Retail Salespersons in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?
On $49,130 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $40,202.38 a year ($1,546.25 per biweekly paycheck) in Colorado under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 18.17%.
How many Retail Salespersons jobs are there in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?
BLS estimates 40,340 Retail Salespersons jobs in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area — 25.068 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Retail Salespersons jobs in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?
The location quotient is 1 — about the same concentration as the nation. A quotient of 1.0 means the occupation's share of local employment equals its national share.
How much does take-home pay vary for Retail Salespersons in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?
From $29,242.86 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($34,700) to $40,202.38 at the 90th ($49,130), under the same single-filer assumptions in Colorado.
What is the total wage bill for Retail Salespersons in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?
About $1.69 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 40,340 multiplied by the mean wage of $41,980.
Sources and method
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates (released May 15, 2026), retrieved October 27, 2026 — bls.gov/oes. OEWS figures are survey estimates for May 2025, not job offers. Take-home pay is computed by this site's paycheck engine with 2026 federal and state rules; the method, and what the engine does not model, is documented in the paycheck methodology guide. Estimates only — not tax advice.