Table 1. Largest occupations and their mean hourly wages in department stores and other general merchandise stores, May 2008

Department stores Other general merchandise stores
Occupation Employment Percent of industry employment Mean hourly wage Employment Percent of industry employment Mean hourly wage
Retail salespersons 509,830 31.9 $9.89 344,530 23.0 $9.73
Cashiers 231,320 14.5 8.63 346,550 23.1 9.19
Stock clerks and order fillers 325,390 20.4 9.71 197,270 13.2 10.09
First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers 92,770 5.8 15.84 136,660 9.1 15.67
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand 62,650 3.9 9.55 73,030 4.9 10.66
First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers 46,060 2.9 14.62 36,290 2.4 12.88
Customer service representatives 19,980 1.3 10.66 32,380 2.2 12.21
Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks 28,250 1.8 10.75 12,990 0.9 14.22
Pharmacy technicians 16,090 1.0 12.49 19,160 1.3 12.82
Pharmacists 16,750 1.1 50.75 12,500 0.8 53.37
Industry total 1,598,880 100.0 11.34 1,500,320 100.0 11.57
Note: The occupations listed above are ranked by the highest combined employment across these two industries. For example, since retail salespersons have a combined employment of 854,360, this occupation is ranked above cashiers, which have a combined employment of 577,870, and so on.

 

Last modified: December 17, 2009