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.
6 metro areas in New Jersey publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 282,930 jobs. The three largest employers of retail salespersons are New York-Newark-Jersey City (202,080 jobs), Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (63,990 jobs), Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton (9,060 jobs), which hold 97.2% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $32,310 to $38,280 a year, against $36,520 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 New Jersey: the highest median pay is in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area ($38,280 a year); the most jobs are in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area (202,080). Statewide the median is $36,520 with 72,530 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) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 202,080 | $38,280 | $34,680 | $60,940 | 0.85 | 57% | 112.6 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 3,090 | $36,720 | $32,220 | $57,640 | 0.51 | 53% | 103.2 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 3,580 | $35,360 | $32,220 | $55,200 | 0.85 | 47% | 98.9 |
| Vineland, NJ | 1,130 | $35,230 | $32,220 | $56,840 | 0.72 | 44% | 96.0 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 63,990 | $34,810 | $27,760 | $48,000 | 0.88 | 51% | 102.6 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 9,060 | $32,310 | $25,300 | $47,580 | 0.96 | 51% | 100.0 |
National page: Retail salespersons →Cities of New Jersey
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 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area, with a median of $38,280 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area, with 202,080 jobs.