How much do cashiers make in 2026?
Cashiers have their own BLS wage series: OEWS May 2025 gives the SOC 41-2011 national median as $32,880 a year ($15.81 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $24,530 and the top 10% at $40,410. That is an unusually narrow band, which reflects the reality of the job: pay is set almost entirely by statutory minimum wage and local labour market conditions rather than by skill progression, and there is limited scope to earn more within the role itself. The outlook requires honesty rather than encouragement. Employment is projected to decline 9.9% through 2034 — one of the steeper declines in the entire occupational classification — as self-checkout, mobile scanning and cashierless systems absorb transaction volume. That decline is real and already visible in grocery, general merchandise and quick-service formats. Two things soften the picture without changing it. The occupation is enormous, at over three million workers, so roughly 542,600 openings a year still arise from turnover. And higher statutory minimum wages in many states and cities have raised the floor of this band substantially over recent years, so the pay itself has improved even as the number of positions falls. For anyone in the role, the realistic advice is to use it as an entry point and move deliberately toward supervision or a specialist retail function. Employment is projected to change by -9.9% through 2034 with roughly 542,600 openings a year. → Full cashier career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $32,880 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Cashiers earn a national median $32,880/yr ($15.81/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 41-2011); the P10 to P90 range is $24,530 to $40,410.
- The band is unusually narrow at $24,530 to $40,410 because pay is set largely by statutory minimum wage rather than by skill progression within the role.
- Employment is projected to decline 9.9% through 2034 — among the steeper declines in the classification — as self-checkout and cashierless systems absorb transactions.
- Roughly 542,600 openings a year still arise from turnover in an occupation of over three million, and rising statutory minimums have lifted the floor even as positions decline.
US Cashier Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do cashiers earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 41-2011; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 41-2011, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a cashier earn at each career stage?
Cashier pay is set largely by statutory minimums and employer type rather than by progression. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 41-2011.
By State
Which states pay cashiers the most in 2026?
State figures are modeled estimates — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers salary-calculator state wage index — not BLS state observations. For this occupation state minimum wage law is the dominant factor by a wide margin, and it varies far more sharply between states than a general wage index implies.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($37,810), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay cashiers the most?
Metro figures are modeled — national median times state wage index times published metro index — not BLS MSA observations. City minimum wage ordinances set floors above state law in a number of markets and are the most direct determinant of cashier pay there.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a cashier’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does cashier pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Cashiers sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify cashier wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a cashier actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Cashier Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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