Retail Salespersons

Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs.
Recommend, select, and help locate or obtain merchandise based on customer needs and desires.
Compute sales prices, total purchases, and receive and process cash or credit payment.

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.

Personality

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Characteristics of this Career
		84%	Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
		78%	Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
		78%	Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
		76%	Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
		75%	Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
		74%	Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
		73%	Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
		72%	Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
		70%	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.
		70%	Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
		66%	Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
		66%	Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
		65%	Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
		60%	Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
		54%	Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
		52%	Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Strengths
		100%	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.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Values of the Work Environment
		67%	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.

Aptitude

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Abilities \| Cognitive, Physical, Personality
		75%	Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
		72%	Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
		66%	Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
		66%	Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
		53%	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.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Skills \| Cognitive, Physical, Personality
		57%	Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
		55%	Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
		54%	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.
		54%	Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

Job Details

Responsibilities

Gather customer or product information to determine customer needs.

Greet customers, patrons, or visitors.

Reconcile records of sales or other financial transactions.

Review laws or regulations to maintain professional knowledge.

Calculate costs of goods or services.

Process sales or other transactions.

Maintain records of sales or other business transactions.

Monitor work areas to provide security.

Recommend products or services to customers.

Answer customer questions about goods or services.

Explain technical product or service information to customers.

Advise customers on the use of products or services.

Set up merchandise displays.

Prepare sales or other contracts.

Demonstrate products to consumers.

Clean work areas.

Process sales or other transactions.

Package materials or products.

Assist customers with product selection.

Purchase stocks of merchandise or supplies.

Monitor inventories of products or materials.

Set up merchandise displays.

Sell products or services.

Arrange delivery of goods or services.

Estimate costs or terms of sales.

Arrange services or reservations for patrons.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent
		97%	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?
		97%	Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
		90%	Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
		90%	Deal With External Customers - How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
		84%	Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
		79%	Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
		79%	Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
		79%	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?
		77%	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?
		77%	Spend Time Standing - How much does this job require standing?
		76%	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?
		72%	Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
		72%	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?
		69%	Spend Time Walking and Running - How much does this job require walking and running?
		69%	Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
		68%	Level of Competition - To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
		65%	Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?
		63%	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?
		61%	Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
		61%	Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
		53%	Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls - How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
		52%	Frequency of Conflict Situations - How often are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Tasks & Values
		93%	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.
		85%	Selling or Influencing Others - Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
		77%	Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
		75%	Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
		72%	Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
		66%	Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
		65%	Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
		64%	Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
		62%	Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
		61%	Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
		61%	Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
		59%	Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
		58%	Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
		54%	Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
		53%	Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
		52%	Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
		51%	Assisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

What Retail Sales Workers Do

Retail sales workers maintain knowledge of current sales and promotions.

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 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.

Work Environment

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

Education:

63%

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

19%

Less than a High School Diploma

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.

Job Outlook

Overall employment of retail sales workers is projected to decline 2 percent from 2022 to 2032.

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.

Employment

The increase in online sales is expected to continue over the projections decade, limiting growth in the number of physical retail stores and reducing demand for retail sales workers. Projected employment of retail sales workers varies by occupation (see table).

Competition from e-commerce is expected to reduce demand for retail salespersons. However, brick-and-mortar retail stores may increase their emphasis on customer service as a way to compete with online sellers. And cost pressures may lead retailers to hire workers who can perform a broad range of tasks, such as helping customers find items, operating a cash register, and restocking shelves. Because retail salespersons provide this versatile range of services, and because many consumers are still expected to visit physical stores, retail salespersons should continue to be needed to help customers and to complete sales.

Demand for car parts and parts salespersons is expected to continue as growing numbers of older cars require repairs. Moreover, demand for ride-hailing services has shifted some public transportation use back to automobiles services, further adding to the need for car parts in upkeep and maintenance, which should support demand for parts salespersons.

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

Retail Salespersons

Retail Sales Worker

What they do:

On the job, you would: