Entry Level Retail Associate

Entry Level Retail Associate Salary

$20K

$31.5K

$42.5K

$32,589

/year

$15.67

/hour

Entry Level Retail Associate Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$32,589

Columbus

Ohio

$31,478

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    How much does an Entry Level Retail Associate make?

    As of Jul 26, 2026, the average annual pay for an Entry Level Retail Associate in the United States is $32,589 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $15.67 an hour. This is the equivalent of $626/week or $2,715/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $42,500 and as low as $20,000, the majority of Entry Level Retail Associate salaries currently range between $30,000 (25th percentile) to $34,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $38,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for an Entry Level Retail Associate varies little (about 4500), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.

    An Entry Level Retail Associate in your area makes on average $31,478 per year, or $1,111 (3.409%) less than the national average annual salary of $32,589. Ohio ranks number 39 out of 50 states nationwide for Entry Level Retail Associate salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Entry Level Retail Associate jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as an Entry Level Retail Associate on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry Level Retail Associate Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Entry Level Retail Associate job is above the national average. Topping the list is Berkeley, CA, , with San Francisco, CA, and San Jose, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. San Jose, CA, beats the national average by $5,685 (17.4%), and Berkeley, CA, furthers that trend with another $7,315 (22.4%) above the $32,589 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Entry Level Retail Associate appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Berkeley, CA, and Hayward, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for an Entry Level Retail Associate role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Berkeley, CA

    $39,904

    $19.18

    San Francisco, CA

    $38,396

    $18.46

    San Jose, CA

    $38,274

    $18.40

    Santa Clara, CA

    $38,262

    $18.40

    Livermore, CA

    $38,227

    $18.38

    Daly City, CA

    $37,761

    $18.15

    Santa Cruz, CA

    $37,630

    $18.09

    Issaquah, WA

    $37,588

    $18.07

    Richmond, CA

    $37,402

    $17.98

    Hayward, CA

    $37,363

    $17.96

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Entry Level Retail Associate Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Entry Level Retail Associate category.

    For example Interview Kickstart jobs pay as much as $50,626 (155.3%) more than the average Entry Level Retail Associate salary of $32,589. If you're qualified, finding work as an Interview Kickstart may help you make more money than that of the average Entry Level Retail Associate position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Interview Kickstart

    $83,215

    $40.01

    Medical Sales Associate

    $58,439

    $28.10

    Associate

    $41,327

    $19.87

    Lead Sales Associate

    $37,735

    $18.14

    Retail Salesperson

    $25,489

    $12.25

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Entry Level Retail Associate salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $32,589 per year or $15.67 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.