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 Massachusetts publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 105,590 jobs. The three largest employers of retail salespersons are Boston-Cambridge-Newton (64,150 jobs), Providence-Warwick (20,910 jobs), Worcester (8,830 jobs), which hold 88.9% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $35,230 to $36,850 a year, against $36,610 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 Massachusetts: the highest median pay is in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area ($36,850 a year); the most jobs are in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area (64,150). Statewide the median is $36,610 with 86,860 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) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 64,150 | $36,850 | $34,000 | $48,260 | 0.95 | 66% | 108.3 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | 3,650 | $36,790 | $34,160 | $48,570 | 1.55 | 55% | 98.4 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | 1,790 | $36,630 | $32,580 | $46,660 | 1.09 | 45% | 100.2 |
| Worcester, MA | 8,830 | $36,220 | $31,950 | $47,020 | 1.01 | 47% | 102.5 |
| Pittsfield, MA | 1,850 | $35,540 | $31,510 | $47,980 | 1.30 | 37% | 95.1 |
| Springfield, MA | 4,410 | $35,440 | $31,200 | $47,280 | 0.87 | 38% | 96.1 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 20,910 | $35,230 | $31,200 | $46,570 | 1.17 | 45% | 101.8 |
National page: Retail salespersons →Cities of Massachusetts
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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area, with a median of $36,850 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area, with 64,150 jobs.