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.
5 metro areas in Connecticut publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 40,310 jobs. The three largest employers of retail salespersons are Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford (14,380 jobs), Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury (12,230 jobs), New Haven (6,810 jobs), which hold 82.9% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $35,360 to $37,330 a year, against $36,490 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 Connecticut: the highest median pay is in the Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT area ($37,330 a year); the most jobs are in the Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT area (14,380). Statewide the median is $36,490 with 42,410 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) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 12,230 | $37,330 | $35,060 | $53,240 | 1.21 | 60% | 106.9 |
| New Haven, CT | 6,810 | $35,950 | $34,260 | $49,970 | 0.97 | 51% | 104.6 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | 3,580 | $35,740 | $34,010 | $48,430 | 1.13 | n/a | n/a |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 14,380 | $35,720 | $34,080 | $48,520 | 0.96 | 48% | 102.7 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | 3,310 | $35,360 | $34,010 | $48,680 | 0.82 | n/a | n/a |
National page: Retail salespersons →Cities of Connecticut
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 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT area, with a median of $37,330 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT area, with 14,380 jobs.