Appleton, WI metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a retail salesperson make in Appleton, WI?

In the Appleton, WI metropolitan area, retail salespersons earned a median of $34,540 a year ($16.60 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 3,610 of these jobs there. That is 31% below the $49,910 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,480 and $47,410; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Wisconsin tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,118 in take-home pay.

Retail salesperson pay in Appleton, WI at a glance

Median salary

$34,540$16.60 per hour · $2,878 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,480$13.21/hr
25th percentile$29,280$14.08/hr
75th percentile$37,830$18.19/hr
90th percentile$47,410$22.79/hr
Jobs in this metro3,610Location quotient 1.16 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here31% belowAll-jobs median $49,910
Against Wisconsinabout the same asStatewide median $34,480
Against the U.S.2% belowNational median $35,410

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Retail salesperson salary in Appleton, WI after taxes

$34,540
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,540
Net 84%
Fed 6%
WI 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,118After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,427Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,120Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,965 / yr
Wisconsin state income tax$815 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,642 / yr

Retail salespersons pay range in Appleton, WI, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Appleton, WI metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What retail salespersons earned in the Appleton, WI metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WI)
10th percentile$13.21/hr$2,290$27,480$23,760
25th percentile$14.08/hr$2,440$29,280$25,151
MedianMedian$16.60/hr$2,878$34,540$29,118
75th percentile$18.19/hr$3,153$37,830$31,599
90th percentile$22.79/hr$3,951$47,410$38,825

Is $34,540 a good salary in Appleton, WI?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for retail salespersons next to both.

Median household income$85,825Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.47.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household40.2%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Retail salesperson pay in Appleton, WI: common questions

What is the median salary for retail salespersons in Appleton, WI?

The BLS median annual wage for retail salespersons in the Appleton, WI metro area was $34,540 in May 2025, about $2,878 a month or $16.60 an hour. Statewide, the Wisconsin median for this job is $34,480, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for retail salespersons in Appleton, WI?

The median hourly wage for retail salespersons in Appleton, WI was $16.60 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.21 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.79.

How many retail salespersons work in Appleton, WI?

BLS estimated 3,610 jobs for retail salespersons in the metro in May 2025, or 29.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.16 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for retail salespersons in Appleton, WI?

BLS wage estimates for retail salespersons in Appleton, WI run from $27,480 at the 10th percentile to $29,280 at the 25th, $37,830 at the 75th, and $47,410 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do retail salespersons take home after taxes in Appleton, WI?

On a median gross salary of $34,540, an estimated $29,118 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,120 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Wisconsin in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,422 (an effective rate of 15.7%).

How much do retail salespersons make per month in Appleton, WI?

On the median annual salary of $34,540, gross monthly income is $2,878. After federal, FICA, and Wisconsin state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,427 per month (or $1,120 every two weeks).

Is $34,540 a good salary in Appleton, WI?

At $34,540, the median salary for retail salespersons is 40.2% of the Appleton, WI median household income ($85,825). It is 31% below the $49,910 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.4, so prices here run 7.6% below the U.S. average.