Retail Salespersons salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Retail Salespersons in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 Pennsylvania tax rules.
The figures
The median Retail Salespersons in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area earns $34,810 a year ($16.74 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Retail Salespersons in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD earn between $29,830 and $37,830 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $27,760 or less and the top 10 percent earn $48,000 or more. BLS estimates 63,990 Retail Salespersons jobs in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD area — 22.083 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 0.88 (below the national concentration). That is 1.6% of all Retail Salespersons employment in the United States (3,897,860 jobs nationally). By employment, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD is the #11 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Retail Salespersons. In aggregate, Retail Salespersons in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD earn about $2.37 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $30,750.54 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Retail Salespersons is about $1.97 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 1.9% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD stands #15 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Retail Salespersons. By employment, Retail Salespersons is the #5 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD. Placed against the national distribution for Retail Salespersons, the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD median of $34,810 falls between the national 25th percentile ($29,900) and the national median ($35,410). Across all occupations, the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD median is $54,310 a year — Retail Salespersons pay is 35.9% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $17.77 | $36,970 |
| 10th percentile | $13.35 | $27,760 |
| 25th percentile | $14.34 | $29,830 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $16.74 | $34,810 |
| 75th percentile | $18.19 | $37,830 |
| 90th percentile | $23.08 | $48,000 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Retail Salespersons in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD earn 1.7 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($48,000 against $27,760). The middle half spans $8,000 — from $29,830 to $37,830. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($23.08) is 1.73 times the 10th ($13.35). In the upper half of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $37,830 takes home $31,415.02 and the 90th percentile wage of $48,000 takes home $39,274.40 — $7,859.38 more net for $10,170 more gross. Against the median take-home of $29,081.16, the top decile keeps 1.35 times as much. The mean wage of $36,970 sits 6.2% above the median: higher-paid Retail Salespersons pull the average up in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD. Among the 30 covered occupations in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, Retail Salespersons ranks #27 by median pay. In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD wage ladder of covered occupations, Retail Salespersons sits between Waiters and Waitresses at $36,570 and Cashiers at $33,050. Retail Salespersons accounts for 2.2% of all employment in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area. The average covered metro employs 64,365 Retail Salespersons; Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD employs 1.0 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in Pennsylvania
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in Pennsylvania; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $34,810.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $1,997.20 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,158.22 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $504.74 |
| Pennsylvania income tax | $1,068.67 |
| Total deductions | $5,728.84 |
| Net pay (annual) | $29,081.16 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,118.51 |
| Total deduction rate | 16.46% of gross |
At the median, $29,081.16 of the $34,810 gross is kept ($1,118.51 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 16.46%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 14.92% at the 10th percentile, 15.41% at the 25th percentile, 16.96% at the 75th percentile, 18.18% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $6,182.34 on a gross rise of $8,000.
The same engine at the other published points of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($27,760) | $23,617.94 | $908.38 | 14.92% |
| 25th percentile ($29,830) | $25,232.68 | $970.49 | 15.41% |
| Median ($34,810) | $29,081.16 | $1,118.51 | 16.46% |
| 75th percentile ($37,830) | $31,415.02 | $1,208.27 | 16.96% |
| 90th percentile ($48,000) | $39,274.40 | $1,510.55 | 18.18% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $23,617.94 a year at the 10th percentile to $39,274.40 at the 90th — a spread of $15,656.46 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD median wage of $54,310 takes home $44,150.50 a year ($1,698.10 per paycheck, deduction rate 18.71%). The Retail Salespersons median take-home of $29,081.16 sits $15,069.34 (below that area-wide figure.
Multi-state metro area. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD also covers parts of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland. The take-home estimate above uses Pennsylvania rules — the metro area's primary state. If the job is based in another part of the metro area, the state tax changes: see the New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland paycheck calculators.
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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD median of $34,810 is $600 (1.7%) below the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $36,970 a year in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD against $37,310 nationally, a gap of $340 (0.9%).
Set against the whole local market, the Retail Salespersons 90th percentile of $48,000 is 37% of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD all-occupations 90th percentile ($130,280), and its 10th percentile of $27,760 is 89% of the area-wide 10th ($31,200).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $34,810 | $16.74 | $36,970 |
| United States | $35,410 | $17.03 | $37,310 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Retail Salespersons in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?
$34,810 a year ($16.74 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $36,970 a year. Ranked by median pay, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD stands #15 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $34,810 in Pennsylvania?
About $29,081.16 a year ($1,118.51 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 16.46% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $37,830, take-home is $31,415.02.
How does pay in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD compare with the national median for Retail Salespersons?
The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD median of $34,810 is $600 (1.7%) below the national median of $35,410 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $48,000, against a national 90th percentile of $47,890.
How much do the top 10% of Retail Salespersons earn in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?
$48,000 a year or more ($23.08 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?
On $48,000 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $39,274.40 a year ($1,510.55 per biweekly paycheck) in Pennsylvania under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 18.18%.
How many Retail Salespersons jobs are there in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?
BLS estimates 63,990 Retail Salespersons jobs in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area — 22.083 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Retail Salespersons jobs in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?
The location quotient is 0.88 — below the national concentration. 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?
From $23,617.94 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($27,760) to $39,274.40 at the 90th ($48,000), under the same single-filer assumptions in Pennsylvania.
What is the total wage bill for Retail Salespersons in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?
About $2.37 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 63,990 multiplied by the mean wage of $36,970.
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.