Sacramento hourly wages for retail salespersons improved to two percent above the nationwide average in 2011, according to data recently released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average hourly rate nationwide was $12.08 as compared to $12.32 in Sacramento. In 2010, Sacramento lagged behind the nationwide rate by two percent.

Within California, the average wage was $12.51. Sacramento ranked eleventh out of the state’s 28 metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The Oakland-Fremont-Hayward area was at the top of the scale paying $13.85 while El Centro was lowest at $10.52.

Retail salespersons are a notable measure of employment because they comprise the largest single occupational category in the country with 3.3 percent of total employees working in this field. Sacramento employed 25,740 retail salespersons or 3.2 percent of the total workers in the region.

General office clerks were the largest occupational type in Sacramento comprising 3.4 percent of the total number of workers. The smallest number were Commercial and Industrial Designers, Cleaning and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators, Recreational Therapists and Embalmers, each having 30 workers.

Sacramento wages in most occupational categories were higher than the nationwide rates. In 2010, 16 of 22 major occupational groups had rates significantly higher than the nationwide average. In 2010, Sacramento wages exceeded the nationwide wages by 13 percent. In 2011, the difference rose to 14 percent.
 

Sources of data:

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wages

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Occupational Employment and Wages

May 2010 National Occupational Employment and Wages

May 2010 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Occupational Employment and Wages

Western Information Office