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Sales assistant (brokerage clerk): pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$65,750median pay per year, or $31.61 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $50,260lowest 10% earn less
  2. $58,62025th percentile
  3. $65,750median
  4. $79,80075th percentile
  5. $102,010top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[4]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[5]

Brokerage clerks, often called sales assistants, had a median pay of $65,750 a year in May 2025[1]. Employment is projected to fall 7.6% from 2025 to 2035, while all occupations are projected to grow[2][3].

Job growth, 2025–35
-7.6%[2]
Openings per year
3,400[6]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[7]

How much do sales assistants make?

The median pay for Brokerage Clerks was $65,750 a year, or $31.61 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. The average was $72,850 a year, or $35.03 an hour[8]. For comparison, the median for all occupations was $50,980[5].

Pay varies a lot. The annual percentiles were:

Percentile Annual pay Hourly pay
10th[4][9] $50,260 $24.16
25th[4][9] $58,620 $28.18
75th[4][9] $79,800 $38.36
90th[4][9] $102,010 $49.04

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $50,260[4]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[10]. These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed, nonproduction bonuses and the cost of benefits[11]. About 35,940 people worked in this job[12].

Pay by state and city

The District of Columbia had the highest median pay at $95,450, followed by New York at $78,930 and Vermont at $78,200[13]. Vermont had only 30 jobs[13]. California came next at $77,960[13]. Montana had the lowest published median at $48,360[13].

New York had the most jobs with 5,950, then California with 4,740 and New Jersey with 3,260[14].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA had the highest median at $90,220, followed by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $89,370[15]. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area had the most jobs at 7,100, with a median of $78,930[16].

Show median pay in 39 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
District of Columbia[13]$95,450n/a
New York$78,9305,950
Vermont$78,20030
California$77,9604,740
Connecticut$75,330420
New Jersey$74,8303,260
Michigan$73,350430
Washington$73,120140
Maine$72,84080
Oregon$72,250470
New Hampshire$68,140200
Utah$67,410320
Tennessee$64,610370
Ohio$64,020800
Wisconsin$63,870460
Massachusetts$63,640890
Illinois$63,3502,060
Florida$63,1301,830
Texas$63,0601,300
Virginia$62,560750
Rhode Island$62,400450
Minnesota$62,110960
Maryland$62,080560
Arizona$61,900940
Georgia$61,570540
Louisiana$61,500n/a
Delaware$61,390n/a
Colorado$60,950220
North Carolina$60,950400
Nebraska$60,880440
Pennsylvania$60,3901,470
South Carolina$59,710440
Arkansas$58,67090
Indiana$58,2901,260
Mississippi$58,20040
Kentucky$57,690n/a
Iowa$56,360160
South Dakota$56,080130
Kansas$49,990310
Montana$48,360110

How to become a sales assistant

The training details here come from a BLS profile on financial clerks, which covers a wider group than brokerage clerks[17].

In an O*NET survey of 19 workers, 38% said a bachelor's degree is required, 29% said a high school diploma or equivalent and 20% said some college courses[19]. Because the survey is small, treat these shares as a rough guide.

Skills that BLS names for financial clerks include communication, math and organization[20][21][22]. A brokerage clerk may later move up to a sales agent role in securities, commodities and financial services after getting the required education and license[23].

What sales assistants do

O*NET describes the work as handling tasks tied to buying, selling or holding securities[24]. Common tasks include:

Workers report job titles such as Client Associate, Operations Clerk and Registered Sales Assistant[26].

Where they work

For financial clerks as a group, BLS says the work is spread across many industries and is usually done in offices[27]. Insurance carriers and related activities employed 19% of financial clerks in 2025, the largest share listed[28]. Most financial clerks work full time[29]. Only 1.3% of brokerage clerks were self-employed in 2025[30].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment of brokerage clerks to fall 7.6% from 2025 to 2035, from about 36,900 to 34,100 jobs[2]. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%[3]. These counts include self-employed workers and differ from the OEWS job count[2].

Even with a decline, about 3,400 openings a year are projected[6]. Openings include jobs left by people who retire or switch occupations, not only new jobs[6]. Each year, 5.1% of workers leave the labor force and 5.2% move to a different occupation[31].

BLS names productivity change as a factor. Technology automates tasks such as document processing and data entry[32].

Is it a good fit?

The pay is above the all-occupations median, and the typical entry path needs a high school diploma with on-the-job training[1][5][7]. The main trade-off in the data is the outlook, with employment projected to shrink[2]. Some employers may favor candidates with college coursework[18]. Workers who want to advance to sales agent roles should expect to need more education and a license[23].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[33].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a sales assistant (brokerage clerk) make an hour?
The median was $31.61 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $35.03[1][8].
What education do you need to be a brokerage clerk?
The typical entry education is a high school diploma or equivalent, with moderate-term on-the-job training[7].
Is brokerage clerk a growing job?
No. Employment is projected to decline 7.6% from 2025 to 2035, while all occupations are projected to grow 3.5%[2][3].
What is the highest paying state for brokerage clerks?
The District of Columbia had the highest median at $95,450[13]. Among states, New York came next at $78,930[13].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Brokerage Clerks in the US was $65,750 per year and $31.61 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Brokerage Clerks is projected to decline 7.6% from 2025 to 2035, from about 36,900 to 34,100 jobs (a change of -2,800). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Brokerage Clerks: 10th percentile $50,260, 25th percentile $58,620, 75th percentile $79,800, 90th percentile $102,010. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 3,400 openings for Brokerage Clerks are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Brokerage Clerks: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Brokerage Clerks was $72,850 per year and $35.03 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Brokerage Clerks: 10th percentile $24.16, 25th percentile $28.18, 75th percentile $38.36, 90th percentile $49.04. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 35,940 people were employed as Brokerage Clerks in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. Median annual wage for Brokerage Clerks in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Brokerage Clerks jobs: New York 5,950; California 4,740; New Jersey 3,260; Illinois 2,060; Florida 1,830. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Brokerage Clerks (areas with at least 100 jobs): San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $90,220; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $89,370; Akron, OH $81,230; Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT $79,660; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $78,930; Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $77,940; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $77,710; Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $75,420. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Brokerage Clerks jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 7,100 (median $78,930); Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 2,000 (median $61,010); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 1,790 (median $63,390); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,730 (median $77,710); San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 1,360 (median $89,370); Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 930 (median $62,110). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  17. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Financial Clerks" covers Brokerage Clerks together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. O*NET 43-4011.00 survey of workers (19 respondents), education level they say is required: Bachelor's Degree 38%, High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 29%, Some College Courses 20%, Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree 13% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Advancement. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  24. O*NET description of Brokerage Clerks. O*NET OnLine
  25. O*NET task list for Brokerage Clerks. O*NET OnLine
  26. O*NET 43-4011.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Account Administrator, Client Associate, Client Service Associate, Operations Clerk, Operations Coordinator, Registered Account Administrator, Registered Sales Assistant, Sales Assistant. O*NET OnLine
  27. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  28. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of financial clerks in 2025: Insurance carriers and related activities 19%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  29. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  30. BLS Employment Projections: 1.3% of Brokerage Clerks were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  31. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Brokerage Clerks: 5.1% of workers leave the labor force each year and 5.2% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  32. BLS Employment Projections, factor affecting employment of Brokerage Clerks: Productivity change - share decreases as technology automates many tasks formerly performed by these workers, including document processing and data entry. BLS Employment Projections
  33. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook text covers a wider group of occupations than this page.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.