Retail & E-Commerce · National
Each retail market we cover is deep in a different part of the business, from distribution managers in Dallas-Fort Worth to web developers in Seattle, and the BLS data below shows which. Careerscape is a national agency whose retail recruiters work only in this industry and recruit remotely, so one search can cover any of these metros.
Online share
Census Bureau quarterly estimates for the United States, seasonally adjusted. National figures, not metro data.
The comparison
Retail hires in every metro, so the store floor looks similar from city to city. The office, digital and fulfillment sides do not. Using location quotients from the BLS May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (1.0 means the national norm), each market we cover is deep in a different part of the business.
Dallas-Fort Worth is the fulfillment and field-leadership market: stockers and order fillers at 1.51, distribution managers at 1.67 and sales managers at 1.61, mostly paid a little under the U.S. median. Minneapolis-St. Paul is a headquarters market, with market research analysts at 1.48 and buyers at 1.31, and analysts paid about 24% above the U.S. New York leads on brand marketing, with marketing managers at 2.27, the highest location quotient for any management occupation in our retail markets.
Portland has deep logistics (1.29) and buying (1.29) benches and web developers at 1.57 earning about 20% under the U.S. median, the only one of our markets where web developers earn less than the U.S. median. Seattle is the e-commerce market, with web developers at 3.69, and the most expensive one: every retail occupation with a U.S. comparison pays above the national median there.
Market table
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers, the BLS category for store managers, assistant managers and department leads, are the core of most retail searches. The table compares that occupation across our five markets, with links to each city page. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro estimates.
| Market | Jobs | Median pay · vs. U.S. | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | 52,270 | $58,930+21% | 0.76 |
| Dallas | 28,540 | $47,320−2% | 0.98 |
| Seattle | 15,250 | $62,170+28% | 1.01 |
| Minneapolis | 12,980 | $51,760+7% | 0.92 |
| Portland | 7,970 | $57,150+18% | 0.91 |
Store leadership is spread evenly: location quotients run from 0.76 in New York to 1.01 in Seattle. Pay is not even. Dallas-Fort Worth's median of $47,320 is just under the U.S. $48,520, while Seattle ($62,170), New York ($58,930) and Portland ($57,150) all run more than 17% above it. New York has the most jobs (52,270); Portland the fewest (7,970). First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers, by metro area, sorted by jobs. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; U.S. median $48,520. Concentration is the BLS location quotient (1.0 = the U.S. share). Each market links to its page.
Choosing a market
For remote or relocating retail roles, the BLS data points to where the field is widest. Pay figures are metro medians, May 2025.
9,600 transportation, storage and distribution managers at a 1.67 location quotient, with a median of $104,790, slightly under the U.S. $107,230. Seattle (0.57) and New York (0.77) are thin by comparison.
Buyers sit at 1.31 in the Twin Cities and 1.51 in Seattle. Market research analysts are at 1.48 and 1.49. Twin Cities medians ($82,710 for buyers, $97,910 for analysts) are below Seattle's ($95,970 and $102,170).
54,730 marketing managers at 2.27, with a median of $192,840. Dallas-Fort Worth (1.59, $155,460) is the lower-cost alternative with a deep field of its own.
Seattle has 3,470 web developers at 3.69, at a median of $130,440. Portland has 850 at 1.57, at $73,920, below the U.S. median of $92,650.
National outlook
National BLS projections for the retail and e-commerce occupations on our city pages. Stockers and order fillers, market research analysts, marketing managers and logisticians are all projected to grow much faster than average; retail store supervisors are projected to decline, though turnover still creates about 113,500 openings a year, and retail salespersons, with little or no change projected, still have about 520,600. These are U.S. figures, not metro projections.
| Occupation | U.S. jobs, 2025 | U.S. median | Projected growth, 2025–35 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 1,419,800 | $48,520 | Decline (-1% or lower) | 113,500 |
| Retail Salespersons | 3,998,100 | $35,410 | Little or no change | 520,600 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 952,700 | $78,760 | Much faster than average (7% or higher) | 82,000 |
| Marketing Managers | 421,600 | $166,790 | Much faster than average (7% or higher) | 34,000 |
| Logisticians | 255,100 | $82,320 | Much faster than average (7% or higher) | 26,600 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | 228,100 | $107,230 | Faster than average (5% to 6%) | 18,300 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 2,804,300 | $37,330 | Much faster than average (7% or higher) | 430,700 |
| Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers | 164,800 | $39,390 | Average (3% to 4%) | 17,200 |
| Sales Managers | 650,100 | $148,270 | Faster than average (5% to 6%) | 47,300 |
| Web Developers | 87,400 | $92,650 | Average (3% to 4%) | 5,300 |
BLS Employment Projections and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), as published on O*NET OnLine. Openings include replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
State and city rules
Retail is one of the few industries with its own scheduling and safety laws. These are the retail- and warehouse-specific rules in the markets we cover; each city page explains them in more detail. A summary only, not legal advice.
| Where | Rule | What it means for hiring |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | Fair Workweek law, retail (NYC Admin. Code Title 20, Ch. 12): stores selling consumer goods with 20+ NYC workers | Schedules 72 hours ahead, no on-call shifts; covers temp-agency and subcontracted staff too |
| New York State | Retail Worker Safety Act (Labor Law Sec. 27-e): employers with 10+ retail employees | Written violence prevention policy and training now; silent response buttons for 500+ employees from Jan. 1, 2027 |
| Oregon | Predictive scheduling (ORS 653.412 to 653.490): retail, hospitality and food service employers with 500+ employees worldwide | 14-day schedules, a good faith hours estimate at hire, 10-hour rest between shifts; leased workers excluded |
| Seattle | Secure Scheduling Ordinance (SMC 14.22): retail and food service employers with 500+ employees worldwide | Offer added hours to current staff before hiring or using temps; 14-day schedules; $21.30 city minimum wage in 2026 |
| Minnesota | Warehouse distribution worker safety (Minn. Stat. 182.6526): 250+ workers at one DC or 1,000+ statewide, including e-commerce | Written quota descriptions at hire; workers can request 90 days of work-speed data |
| Texas | TABC seller-server certification: not required by law, but needed for safe harbor | Retailers selling alcohol certify sellers and their managers within 30 days of hire; $7.25 state minimum wage |
Washington outside Seattle has no statewide scheduling law; Washington's 2026 minimum wage is $17.13. Source: NYC DCWP, NYS DOL, Oregon BOLI, Seattle OLS, Minnesota DLI, TABC.
What we recruit
Engagements range from a single permanent hire or a seasonal temp team to executive search and RPO. National pay for linked roles is in the Salary Guide.
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FAQ
A retail recruiting firm finds people for stores, buying offices, e-commerce teams and distribution centers: store and district managers, buyers and planners, digital marketers, marketplace managers and supply chain leads. Careerscape's retail recruiters screen candidates against the role's specific work and send a short, pre-screened list, which you review in a private Employer Portal. Searches run as direct hire, contract, temporary staffing or executive search.
Nationally, BLS projects much faster than average growth (7% or more over the projection decade) for stockers and order fillers, with about 430,700 openings a year, and for market research analysts, marketing managers and logisticians. Store supervisors are projected to decline slightly but still generate about 113,500 openings a year from turnover. The growth is in the e-commerce, analytics and fulfillment side of retail.
Yes. E-commerce roles such as web developers, marketplace managers and retail media specialists are recruited more like technology and marketing roles, often across metros or remotely, while store and DC roles are local and shaped by scheduling and wage laws. In our markets, e-commerce developer pay ranges from a $73,920 median in Portland to $130,440 in Seattle (U.S. $92,650).
Among our markets, Oregon has a statewide law for retail, hospitality and food service employers with 500 or more employees worldwide, and Seattle and New York City have city ordinances. Seattle's covers large retail and food service employers; New York City's retail law covers stores selling consumer goods with 20 or more NYC workers. Texas and Minnesota have no comparable statewide retail scheduling laws. Check with counsel before relying on any of this.
Careerscape's team is national and remote, organized by industry rather than by city. Our retail recruiters work for employers in any market, using the local data on each city page to set pay and search strategy. That means one recruiter can run a multi-city store opening or a remote e-commerce search, with every candidate in the same Employer Portal pipeline.
See how our retail staffing service works, or send a request and get a pre-screened shortlist.
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