The average salesperson at an Apple store racks up nearly $500,000 in revenue per year, yet earns a salary of $25,000 or so — better than Gap, but far below the six figures that commission-earning employees at Verizon can rake in.

Delving deep into the culture of the Apple store, The New York Times reports that Apple’s 30,000 retail employees are often worn out by the hectic pace of sales life and frustrated by a dearth of opportunities to climb the corporate ladder. Yet Apple’s retail success continues, largely because it has a “built-in fan base that ensures a steady supply of eager applicants and an employee culture that tries to turn every job into an exalted mission,” says Segal.

The result is a workforce that in many respects eerily resembles a cult…