What is the salary of salespeople?

There are many job offers for salespersons, as the job is essential for the food supply and retail in general. But how much does a retail salesperson actually earn?

Compared to the majority of employees in Germany, sales assistants earn rather little. On average, salaries in retail range from €1,985 to €2,569 gross per month, with hourly wages averaging €12.73.

Starting out in retail as an unskilled worker? - This salary beckons

In addition to trained sales staff, there are many career changers in retail who apply for the numerous job offers for a part-time job in sales. Many of them only work part-time in retail or have a mini-job on a marginal basis of up to €450 per month. In line with their lower qualifications, unskilled sales staff and mini-jobbers or part-time temps often only receive the minimum wage of €10.45 an hour and usually somewhat less than their qualified colleagues who have completed training.

Training as a salesperson - salary, collective agreements and career opportunities

Trained sales staff in full-time jobs earn more than temporary staff. Training in retail lasts only two years, during which the trainee can expect to earn between €785 and €930 gross per month in the first year and €835 to €1035 per month in the second year of training.

The salary as a trained retail salesperson, meanwhile, rises to between €1700 and €1900 gross per month after completing training. Depending on the size of the company, the pay here varies and also depends on whether there is a union that stands up for the employees and negotiates higher collective wages. Depending on the state and the size of the retail chain, there are sometimes big differences here. Some full-time retail jobs in certain locations in popular cities such as Berlin or Munich also pay up to €2,000 gross for skilled workers, and larger well-known supermarket chains often also pay above collective agreements and offer special payments such as vacation or Christmas bonuses. There is also a difference between industries such as supermarket food sales and wholesale and foreign trade, where skilled workers often earn somewhat more. Further training increases the salary even more: Certified retail specialists can even earn up to €4,500 gross.

Promotion opportunities for sales staff with increasing experience: from cashier to store manager?

After completing training with less than three years of professional experience, a salesperson receives approximately €1,800 gross per month as an entry-level salary. After 4 to 9 years of professional experience, the salary rises to up to €2,030 gross, and after 10 years to around €2,400 gross per month. Over 20 years of professional experience no longer makes too much of a difference; after this time, around €2,500 per month beckons.

On the other hand, after three years of professional experience, a salesperson can take further training to become an IHK Handelsbetriebswirt (Chamber of Industry and Commerce) and thus have a good chance of promotion. With a bit of commitment, a promotion to deputy store manager may even be possible.

Diverse locations from discounter to DIY store

Since salespersons are needed everywhere in retail, there are many job opportunities and jobs in various industries. The lowest salaries are paid to salespersons in supermarkets, gas stations and beverage stores, where the average gross salary is between €1,700 and €2,600 per month. In DIY stores, pet stores, furniture stores and car accessories stores, on the other hand, the salary for sales staff is considerably higher, averaging between €2,400 and €3,400 gross per month.

Differences in salary from state to state

‍Salespeopleare wanted everywhere, whether in Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Munich or Stuttgart - you can practically always find jobs in retail. And there are also plenty of sales jobs with our neighbors in Switzerland or Austria. In Zurich, such a job is usually paid much better than in Germany or Austria, due to the higher cost of living in Switzerland. But it's not just from country to country that there are differences; salesperson salaries also vary within national borders. In states such as Bavaria, for example, the average retail salary is higher than in economically weaker states such as Saxony-Anhalt. However, the average salary is highest in Baden-Württemberg at €2,445 gross per month, while it is lowest in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania at €1,787 gross per month.

FAQ

We answer the most frequently asked questions about salaries in retail here.  

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How much does a retail salesperson earn?

‍Aretail salesperson earns on average between €1,985 and €2,569 gross per month, with an average hourly wage of €12.73.

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What is the salary of a salesperson in training?

‍Ein Einzelhandelskaufmann oder eine Einzelhandelskauffrau in Ausbildung bekommt im ersten Ausbildungsjahr meist zwischen 785 und 930 € brutto monatlich, im zweiten Jahr liegt der durchschnittliche Lohn zwischen 835 und 1035 € pro Monat. Was ist der Unterschied zwischen Brutto und Netto?

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Where in Germany do you earn the most as a salesperson?

In Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, a salesperson receives the highest salary on average, while salespeople in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania earn the least.

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