Parts Salespersons

Despite declining employment, about 563,000 openings for retail sales workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Education: None Details

Education Details

47%

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

25%

Some College Courses

14%

Bachelor's Degree

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)

Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)

Salary

High: $59,070.00

Average: $39,250.00

Hourly

Average: $18.87

Summary of What they do:

Sell spare and replacement parts and equipment in repair shop or parts store.

Responsibilities

Process sales or other transactions.

Order materials, supplies, or equipment.

Explain technical product or service information to customers.

Monitor inventories of products or materials.

Arrange delivery of goods or services.

Clean work areas.

Analyze shipping information to make routing decisions.

Calculate shipping costs.

Gather customer or product information to determine customer needs.

Take product orders from customers.

Process sales or other transactions.

Prepare sales or other contracts.

Process sales or other transactions.

Advise customers on the use of products or services.

Examine condition of property or products.

Process sales or other transactions.

Stock products or parts.

Advise customers on the use of products or services.

Explain technical product or service information to customers.

Demonstrate products to consumers.

Set up merchandise displays.

Measure product or material dimensions.

Repair parts or assemblies.

What Retail Sales Workers Do

Retail sales workers help customers find products they want and process customers’ payments. There are two types of retail sales workers: retail salespersons, who sell retail merchandise, such as clothing, furniture, and automobiles; and parts salespersons, who sell spare and replacement parts and equipment, especially car parts.

Duties

Retail sales workers maintain knowledge of current sales and promotions.

Retail sales workers typically do the following:

Greet customers and offer them assistance
Recommend merchandise based on customers’ wants and needs
Explain the use and benefit of merchandise to customers
Answer customers’ questions
Show how merchandise works, if applicable
Add up customers’ total purchases and accept payment
Inform customers about current sales, promotions, and policies about payments and exchanges

The following are examples of types of retail sales workers:

Retail salespersons work in stores where they sell goods, such as books, cars, clothing, cosmetics, electronics, furniture, lumber, plants, shoes, and many other types of merchandise.

In addition to helping customers find and select items to buy, many retail salespersons process the payment for the sale, which typically involves operating cash registers.

After taking payment for the purchases, retail salespersons may bag or package the purchases.

Depending on the hours they work, retail salespersons may have to open or close cash registers. This includes counting the money in the register and separating charge slips, coupons, and exchange vouchers. They may also make deposits at a cash office.

For information about other workers who receive and disburse money, see the profile on cashiers.

In addition, retail salespersons may help stock shelves or racks, arrange for mailing or delivery of purchases, mark price tags, take inventory, and prepare displays.

For some retail sales jobs, particularly those involving expensive and complex items, retail sales workers need special knowledge or skills. For example, those who sell cars must be able to explain the features of various models, manufacturers’ specifications, different types of options on the car, financing available, and the details of associated warranties.

In addition, retail sales workers must recognize security risks and thefts and understand their organization’s procedures for handling thefts, which may include notifying security guards or calling police.

Parts salespersons sell spare and replacement parts and equipment, especially car parts. Most work in either automotive parts stores or automobile dealerships. They take customers’ orders, inform customers of part availability and price, and take inventory.

Important Qualities

Customer-service skills. Retail sales workers must be responsive to the wants and needs of customers. They should explain the product options available to customers and make appropriate recommendations.

Interpersonal skills. A friendly and outgoing personality is important for these workers because the job requires almost constant interaction with people.

Math skills. Retail sales workers must have the ability to calculate price totals, discounts, and change owed to customers.

Persistence. A large number of attempted sales may not be successful, so sales workers should not be discouraged easily. They must start each new sales attempt with a positive attitude.

Selling skills. Retail sales workers must be persuasive when interacting with customers. They must clearly and effectively explain the benefits of the merchandise.

Tasks On The Job

Advise customers on substitution or modification of parts when identical replacements are not available.
Assist customers, such as responding to customer complaints and updating them about back-ordered parts.
Demonstrate equipment to customers, and explain functioning of equipment.
Determine replacement parts required, according to inspections of old parts, customer requests, or customers' descriptions of malfunctions.
Discuss use and features of various parts, based on knowledge of machines or equipment.
Examine returned parts for defects, and exchange defective parts or refund money.
Fill customer orders from stock, and place orders when requested items are out of stock.
Locate and label parts, and maintain inventory of stock.
Maintain and clean work and inventory areas.
Manage shipments by researching shipping methods or costs and tracking packages.
Mark and store parts in stockrooms, according to prearranged systems.
Measure parts, using precision measuring instruments, to determine whether similar parts may be machined to required sizes.
Pick up and deliver parts.
Place new merchandise on display.
Prepare sales slips or sales contracts.
Read catalogs, microfiche viewers, or computer displays to determine replacement part stock numbers and prices.
Receive and fill telephone orders for parts.
Receive payment or obtain credit authorization.
Repair parts or equipment.

PERSONALITY

KEY:

Strength

Caution

Warning

Your Assessment Results		CAREER CHARACTERISTICS Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	90%	Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	86%	Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	80%	Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	79%	Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	78%	Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	78%	Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	78%	Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	77%	Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	76%	Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	72%	Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	70%	Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	59%	Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

Your Assessment Results		IMPORTANT STRENGTHS Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment		95%	Enterprising - Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment		83%	Conventional - Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Your Assessment Results		WORK VALUES Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment		61%	Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

APTITUDES

KEY:

Strength

Caution

Warning

Your Assessment Results		ABILITIES \| SKILLS Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	72%	Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	66%	Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	63%	Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	60%	Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	56%	Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	56%	Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	55%	Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	53%	Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

Your Assessment Results		TASKS \| ACTIVITIES Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	87%	Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	84%	Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	83%	Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	82%	Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	81%	Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	74%	Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	73%	Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	73%	Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	71%	Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	68%	Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	68%	Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	67%	Selling or Influencing Others - Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	67%	Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	64%	Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	64%	Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	63%	Performing Administrative Activities - Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	62%	Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	61%	Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	61%	Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	60%	Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	57%	Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	56%	Monitoring and Controlling Resources - Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	55%	Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	55%	Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	55%	Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	54%	Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	51%	Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

Your Assessment Results		CONTEXT \| ATTRIBUTES Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	100%	Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	97%	Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	96%	Deal With External Customers - How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	95%	Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	89%	Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	86%	Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	85%	Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in non-controlled environmental conditions (e.g., warehouse without heat)?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	82%	Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable - How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	81%	Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	81%	Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	79%	Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	78%	Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	78%	Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	77%	Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	76%	Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Importance of Repeating Same Tasks - How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People - How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	74%	Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	74%	Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	73%	Exposed to Contaminants - How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	71%	Spend Time Standing - How much does this job require standing?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	70%	Very Hot or Cold Temperatures - How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	68%	Frequency of Conflict Situations - How often are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	59%	Spend Time Walking and Running - How much does this job require walking and running?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	58%	Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	58%	Outdoors, Exposed to Weather - How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	53%	Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting - How often does this job require working in extremely bright or inadequate lighting conditions?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	53%	Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions - How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	77%	Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week.

Work Environment

Retail sales workers often stand for long periods and may need supervisory approval to leave the sales floor.

Parts salespersons held about 266,100 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of parts salespersons were as follows:

Automotive parts, accessories, and tire retailers	44%
Automobile dealers	21
Wholesale trade	20
Repair and maintenance	5
Other motor vehicle dealers	4

Retail salespersons held about 3.8 million jobs in 2022. The largest employers of retail salespersons were as follows:

Clothing, clothing accessories, shoe, and jewelry retailers	17%
General merchandise retailers	17
Sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailers	15
Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers	13
Furniture, home furnishings, electronics, and appliance retailers	8

Most retail sales work is performed in clean, well-lit stores. Retail sales workers spend most of their time interacting with customers, answering questions, and assisting them with purchases.

Workers often stand for long periods and may need permission from a supervisor to leave the sales floor. If they sell items such as cars, plants, or lumberyard materials, they may work outdoors.

Work Schedules

Many sales workers work evenings and weekends, particularly during holidays and other peak sales periods. Because the end-of-year holiday season is often the busiest time for retail stores, many employers limit retail sales workers’ use of vacation time between November and the beginning of January.

Some retail salespersons work part time.

Getting Started

How to Become a Retail Sales Worker

A friendly and outgoing personality is important for these workers, as the job requires almost constant interaction with people.

Typically, there are no formal education requirements for retail sales workers. Most receive on-the-job training, which usually lasts a few days to a few months.

Education

Although retail or parts sales positions usually have no formal education requirements, some employers prefer applicants who have a high school diploma or equivalent, especially employers who sell technical products or “big-ticket” items, such as electronics or cars.

Training

Most retail sales workers receive on-the-job training, which usually lasts a few days to a few months. In small stores, an experienced employee often trains newly hired workers. In large stores, training programs are more formal and usually conducted over several days.

During training sessions, topics often include customer service, security, the store’s policies and procedures, and how to operate the cash register.

Depending on the type of product they are selling, employees may be given additional specialized training. For example, salespersons working in cosmetics get instruction on the types of products the store offers and for whom the cosmetics would be most beneficial. Likewise, those who sell auto parts may be instructed on the technical functions of various parts, in addition to sales technique.

Because providing exceptional service to customers is a priority for many employers, employees often get periodic training to update and refine their skills.

Advancement

Retail sales workers typically have opportunities to advance to supervisory or managerial positions. Some employers want candidates for managerial positions to have a college degree.

As sales workers gain experience and seniority, they often move into positions that have greater responsibility and may be given their choice of departments in which to work. This opportunity often means moving to positions with higher potential earnings and commissions. The highest earnings potential usually involves selling “big-ticket” items, such as cars, jewelry, furniture, and electronics. These positions often require workers with extensive knowledge of the product and excellent sales skills.

Contacts for More Information

For more information about the retail industry, visit

National Retail Federation

Retail Industry Leaders Association

For more information about training for a career in automobile sales, visit

National Automobile Dealers Association

Occupational Requirements Survey

For a profile highlighting selected BLS data on occupational requirements, see

Retail salespersons (PDF)

Similar Occupations

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of retail sales workers.

Occupation	Job Duties	Entry-Level Education	Median Annual Pay, May 2022
Cashiers	Cashiers process payments from customers purchasing goods and services.	No formal educational credential	$28,240
Customer Service Representatives	Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and answer questions.	High school diploma or equivalent	$37,780
Information Clerks	Information clerks perform routine clerical duties, maintain records, collect data, and provide information to customers.	See How to Become One	$38,710
Insurance Sales Agents	Insurance sales agents contact potential customers and sell one or more types of insurance.	High school diploma or equivalent	$57,860
Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents	Real estate brokers and sales agents help clients buy, sell, and rent properties.	High school diploma or equivalent	$52,030
Sales Engineers	Sales engineers sell complex scientific and technological products or services to businesses.	Bachelor's degree	$108,530
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents	Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents connect buyers and sellers in financial markets.	Bachelor's degree	$67,480
Wholesale and Manufacturing Sales Representatives	Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses, government agencies, and other organizations.	See How to Become One	$67,750
Food and Beverage Serving and Related Workers	Food and beverage serving and related workers take and prepare orders, clear tables, and do other tasks associated with providing food and drink to customers.	No formal educational credential	$28,130
Sales Managers	Sales managers direct organizations' sales teams.	Bachelor's degree	$130,600