Modesto, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a retail salesperson make in Modesto, CA?

In the Modesto, CA metropolitan area, retail salespersons earned a median of $37,430 a year ($18.00 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 5,140 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $50,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $35,170 and $49,260; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,775 in take-home pay.

Retail salesperson pay in Modesto, CA at a glance

Median salary

$37,430$18.00 per hour · $3,119 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$35,170$16.91/hr
25th percentile$35,900$17.26/hr
75th percentile$44,700$21.49/hr
90th percentile$49,260$23.68/hr
Jobs in this metro5,140Location quotient 1.05 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $50,610
Against California3% belowStatewide median $38,440
Against the U.S.6% aboveNational 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 Modesto, CA after taxes

$37,430
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,430
Net 85%
Fed 6%
CA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,775After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,648Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,222Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,312 / yr
California state income tax$480 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,863 / yr

Retail salespersons pay range in Modesto, CA, hourly and yearly

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

What retail salespersons earned in the Modesto, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$16.91/hr$2,931$35,170$30,050
25th percentile$17.26/hr$2,992$35,900$30,607
MedianMedian$18.00/hr$3,119$37,430$31,775
75th percentile$21.49/hr$3,725$44,700$37,326
90th percentile$23.68/hr$4,105$49,260$40,765

Is $37,430 a good salary in Modesto, CA?

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$81,468Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)104.14.1% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household45.9%of area median income

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

Retail salesperson pay in Modesto, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for retail salespersons in Modesto, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for retail salespersons in the Modesto, CA metro area was $37,430 in May 2025, about $3,119 a month or $18.00 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $38,440, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for retail salespersons in Modesto, CA?

The median hourly wage for retail salespersons in Modesto, CA was $18.00 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.91 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.68.

How many retail salespersons work in Modesto, CA?

BLS estimated 5,140 jobs for retail salespersons in the metro in May 2025, or 26.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.05 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for retail salespersons in Modesto, CA?

BLS wage estimates for retail salespersons in Modesto, CA run from $35,170 at the 10th percentile to $35,900 at the 25th, $44,700 at the 75th, and $49,260 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do retail salespersons take home after taxes in Modesto, CA?

On a median gross salary of $37,430, an estimated $31,775 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,222 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,655 (an effective rate of 15.1%).

How much do retail salespersons make per month in Modesto, CA?

On the median annual salary of $37,430, gross monthly income is $3,119. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,648 per month (or $1,222 every two weeks).

Is $37,430 a good salary in Modesto, CA?

At $37,430, the median salary for retail salespersons is 45.9% of the Modesto, CA median household income ($81,468). It is 26% below the $50,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 104.1, so prices here run 4.1% above the U.S. average.