Quick answer: California employs about 109,180 first-line supervisors of retail sales workers (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing runs through target employers on the experience and credential mix they weight. Programs, the careers this degree opens, and what they pay are below.
Compare retail management programs enrolling now:
Licensing and Credentials in California
Retail management is not licensed and has no required certification. Employers typically promote on floor experience, and the degree’s value is the finance, operations and merchandising coursework that supports moving beyond a single store.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with target employers on the experience and credential mix they weight that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Earning the Degree While You Work
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 219 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
What First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers Earn in California
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers in California earn a median $54,870 per year, above the national median of $48,520 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Retail Management Pay and Employment in California at a Glance
Metric
California
National
Source
Median annual wage
$54,870
$48,520
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$38,860
$33,120
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$44,920
$38,590
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$63,160
$62,130
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$77,590
$77,080
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
109,180
1,121,800
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
0.83
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
-5.0%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How California Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The California median of $54,870 sits above the national median of $48,520 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 0.83 puts California below the national average, so the occupation is less concentrated here than in the typical state. Expect a thinner local job market and fewer employers to move between (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Retail supervision exists everywhere retail does, so this market tracks population and consumer spending rather than any single industry.
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers Wages by Metro Area in California
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), first-line supervisors of retail sales workers wages in California vary by metro area.
Metro Area
Employment
Median Annual Wage
Avg. Annual Wage
Entry Level (10th pctile)
Experienced (90th pctile)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
36,580
$51,390
$56,350
$38,620
$77,280
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
12,120
$58,950
$62,430
$45,100
$81,240
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
11,800
$50,460
$55,720
$38,090
$76,230
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
9,780
$56,300
$57,450
$39,410
$77,630
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
6,270
$52,590
$56,510
$39,550
$76,040
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
4,810
$61,710
$65,050
$46,760
$84,150
Fresno
2,890
$50,790
$54,710
$37,690
$76,150
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
2,500
$52,570
$54,960
$38,050
$75,100
Bakersfield-Delano
2,060
$49,350
$54,430
$37,810
$77,280
Stockton-Lodi
1,790
$50,540
$54,650
$38,010
$74,920
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
1,630
$58,190
$59,160
$40,770
$78,200
Modesto
1,590
$51,770
$56,430
$39,130
$76,930
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
1,340
$51,930
$55,920
$39,170
$74,280
Visalia
1,270
$47,170
$52,070
$37,020
$74,650
Vallejo
1,210
$56,150
$58,070
$40,570
$78,330
Salinas
1,190
$55,380
$56,690
$39,590
$74,790
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
990
$52,310
$55,370
$38,730
$75,420
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
800
$52,240
$55,190
$38,480
$74,720
Chico
660
$50,770
$53,780
$37,750
$71,620
El Centro
640
$46,250
$51,840
$37,820
$72,880
Redding
620
$48,350
$52,460
$37,480
$71,940
Merced
590
$51,190
$55,310
$37,850
$76,840
Napa
550
$59,060
$62,900
$43,140
$80,170
Yuba City
400
$50,950
$54,550
$38,330
$75,980
Hanford-Corcoran
350
$47,380
$51,930
$37,840
$73,650
Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do first-line supervisors of retail sales workers make in California?
The median annual wage for first-line supervisors of retail sales workers in California is $54,870, above the national median of $48,520 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $44,920 at the 25th percentile to $63,160 at the 75th.
How many first-line supervisors of retail sales workers work in California?
California holds about 109,180 retail manager jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 1,121,800, and BLS projects about 125,100 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Do I need a license to work as a retail manager in California?
Retail management is not licensed and has no required certification. Employers typically promote on floor experience, and the degree's value is the finance, operations and merchandising coursework that supports moving beyond a single store. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with target employers on the experience and credential mix they weight before you enroll in any program.
Can I earn a retail management associate or bachelor's online while working in California?
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies target employers on the experience and credential mix they weight.
What is the highest-paying area of California for first-line supervisors of retail sales workers?
Among California metro areas with published data, San Jose reports the highest median at $61,710 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is California a good state for first-line supervisors of retail sales workers?
On pay, the state median of $54,870 sits above the national $48,520 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 0.83 means the occupation is less concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers (SOC 41-1011), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
