Ranked by median pay, with jobs and rent share; from BLS and Census data.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
7 metro areas in Arizona publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 89,910 jobs. The three largest employers of retail salespersons are Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler (69,060 jobs), Tucson (11,100 jobs), Prescott Valley-Prescott (2,570 jobs), which hold 92.0% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $33,140 to $36,440 a year, against $35,720 for the whole state and $35,410 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $35,410 a year for retail salespersons (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $27,210 and the highest-paid tenth over $47,890). Employment is projected to change by -0.3% between 2025 and 2035, with about 520,600 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: No formal educational credential; on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. Education requirements are BLS's typical ones, not legal rules; many states also license this work, so check the state board before applying.
Higher pay is not the whole story: look at the rent share column (yearly rent divided by median pay) and the price level (100 is the national average). A metro with a lower salary but cheaper housing can leave more money at the end of the month. The location quotient shows where the occupation is concentrated; employers cluster where it is above 1, which usually means more openings and more competition among employers for the same skills.
Retail salespersons in Arizona: the highest median pay is in the Flagstaff, AZ area ($36,440 a year); the most jobs are in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area (69,060). Statewide the median is $35,720 with 93,920 jobs. Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation are listed; click a column to sort.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ | Price level (US = 100) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flagstaff, AZ | 2,150 | $36,440 | $32,180 | $46,710 | 1.29 | 49% | 100.3 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 69,060 | $35,960 | $31,090 | $47,660 | 1.16 | 57% | 103.3 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | 2,570 | $35,290 | $30,950 | $46,770 | 1.42 | 46% | 98.3 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 2,130 | $34,610 | $30,580 | $45,530 | 1.50 | 38% | 94.1 |
| Tucson, AZ | 11,100 | $34,530 | $30,580 | $45,830 | 1.14 | 42% | 96.9 |
| Yuma, AZ | 1,840 | $33,840 | $30,580 | $45,590 | 1.06 | 35% | 92.7 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | 1,060 | $33,140 | $30,580 | $43,890 | 1.24 | 36% | 89.2 |
National page: Retail salespersons →Cities of Arizona
Rent uses the metro median gross rent (ACS) and appears only for metros that contain a city of this guide. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure or we have no rent for that metro.
In the Flagstaff, AZ area, with a median of $36,440 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area, with 69,060 jobs.