Hiring a sales worker in Modesto, CA

Do Modesto residents in sales and related work earn more than employers in the Modesto, CA area pay?

Modesto residents working in sales and related occupations earn a median of $37,779 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $57,245 as the median of the 14 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Modesto, CA area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 34%, with the employers figure the higher of the two.

Both sides of that figure describe the whole sales and related group, not this one role. In the Modesto, CA area the group covers 14 occupations BLS publishes a wage for, from cashiers at $36,490 to sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products at $78,420 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with sales and related workers, all other at $53,870 inside it.

That comparison is between two different measures, not a pay gap. The two weight the same occupation group differently: the Census figure is the midpoint across the people who actually hold those jobs, so a group carrying a few very well paid occupations is pulled toward them, while the BLS figure is the midpoint across the 14 published occupation wages, which counts each of those occupations once whatever its headcount. Census also counts where people live and BLS counts where the jobs are, and the two cover different populations, Census the civilian employed population 16 and over, BLS wage-and-salary jobs only. Read the number against other cities, where the same definitional difference applies on both sides, rather than as a shortfall.

Published wages across this group in the metro run above what Modesto residents in it earn, which usually means employers here draw this talent from beyond the city line rather than from inside it.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Stanislaus County, retail trade employs 22,406 and turns over 9.5% a quarter, with 2,241 hires against 3,139 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $3,969 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 44-45.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about sales and related workers, all other. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a normal churn rate, where a well-run search closes on schedule.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's $53,870 median in the Modesto, CA area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would bill roughly $10,774 to $16,161 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Questions employers ask about hiring a sales worker in Modesto

What does it cost to hire a sales worker in Modesto?

Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340 per search, set by the seniority of the role and never by salary or location. A contingency firm billing 20 to 30% of this role's $53,870 median wage in the Modesto, CA area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would charge roughly $10,774 to $16,161 on the first year salary alone.

What should an offer for a sales worker in Modesto look like?

Employers in the Modesto, CA area pay sales and related workers, all other a median of $53,870, with the middle half of the market between $41,720 and $79,270 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A band set below $41,720 competes for the bottom quarter of that market.

Do Modesto residents in sales and related work earn more than employers in the Modesto, CA area pay?

Modesto residents working in sales and related occupations earn a median of $37,779 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $57,245 as the median of the 14 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Modesto, CA area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 34%. Both figures cover the whole occupation group rather than this one role, and one counts where people live while the other counts where the jobs are, so the percentage is not a pay gap.

Related

• Hiring Sales and Related Workers, All Other: the role, the pay, the process
• Recruiting services in Modesto
• Every California city we cover

Modesto is the 20th largest of 21 California cities in this dataset.