Side-by-side distribution
Retail Manager
$19.49/hr
per hour · USD
- Disclosing
- 37.3%
- Live roles
- 3,742
Sales Associate
$16.95/hr
per hour · USD
- Disclosing
- 56.5%
- Live roles
- 28,319
Highest-paying jobs
Retail Store Manager in Training
Enterprise Account Manager - Retail & Manufacturing
Staff Product Manager, Retail Media & Audiences
Retail Banking Senior Manager
Talent & Workforce Senior Manager, Consumer Goods & Services, Retail and Travel
Retail Merchandising and Planning – Strategy Senior Manager
Marketing - Senior Manager/Manager, Events & Experiences (Retail)
Manager, Retail Integration - Operations
Retail - Boutique Manager, Boutique Management (Menlo Park)
People & Culture - Senior Manager/Manager, Retail Talent Development, Onboarding
Highest-paying jobs
Associate VP, Sales
(GCC) Global Capability Center Sales Enablement Senior Manager/Associate Director
Client Account Associate Director | Mass Retail
Lakebase Associate Director - Retail
Associate Sales Specialist-Local Government Risk
Palantir - Sales Capture Associate Director
Associate Director- IT Commercial Field Sales Mobile Applications
Associate Director, Sales Analytics and Operations
Associate Director, Data Sciences, Safety, and Regulatory FSP Sales
Associate Director, Solution Sales, Patient Access Support Services
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
maurices
|
$36,889 | 427 |
Skechers
|
$43,514 | 234 |
Michaels
|
$39,728 | 158 |
T-Mobile
|
$79,250 | 92 |
| AT AT&T | $68,800 | 63 |
|
Aritzia
|
$79,040 | 33 |
| MC Minnesota Cannabis Services | $60,000 | 27 |
|
Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona
|
$70,000 | 16 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| TJ TJX | $30,680 | 2,394 |
|
T-Mobile
|
$37,440 | 1,893 |
Five Below
|
$26,562 | 1,793 |
| JC J.Crew | $32,084 | 981 |
| KG KnitWell Group | $37,253 | 710 |
VF Corporation
|
$38,917 | 652 |
Signet Jewelers
|
$38,844 | 629 |
|
Skechers
|
$32,968 | 540 |
Retail Manager salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Denver | $194,100 | 13 |
| Atlanta | $194,100 | 15 |
| Austin | $190,650 | 14 |
| Seattle | $178,700 | 18 |
| San Francisco | $170,200 | 20 |
| Los Angeles | $170,200 | 19 |
| Boston | $170,200 | 21 |
| Chicago | $162,960 | 30 |
| New York | $130,200 | 67 |
| Toronto | $82,595 | 5 |
Sales Associate salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | $45,240 | 67 |
| Seattle | $45,110 | 66 |
| New York | $44,720 | 378 |
| San Francisco | $44,200 | 68 |
| Denver | $42,682 | 57 |
| Toronto | $42,006 | 73 |
| Los Angeles | $41,600 | 93 |
| Chicago | $39,884 | 134 |
| London | $39,306 | 28 |
| Singapore | $36,700 | 4 |
Retail Manager vs Sales Associate: which pays more?
The median for Retail Manager is $19.49/hr per year (typically $17.35/hr–$21.49/hr), versus $16.95/hr for Sales Associate ($15.00/hr–$19.00/hr). That puts Retail Manager about 15% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Retail Manager and Sales Associate are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.