Concessions

What’s This All About?

Have you ever bought something at a store and talked to the person who helped you? That person is likely a Retail Sales Worker! This report looks closely at these jobs in the United States. We’ll talk about what they do, how much they get paid, what skills they need, and what the future looks like for these jobs.

Retail Sales Workers are people who sell things to customers in stores. This includes people who sell clothes, electronics, car parts, and lots of other stuff. You usually don’t need a special school degree to get this job, but you do need to be good with people and know how to help customers.

In May 2024, the average pay for these workers was about $34,730 a year, which is around $16.70 an hour. This is less than what most workers in the U.S. make. The pay can be different depending on the type of sales job (like selling car parts pays a bit more than selling general store items), the kind of store, and where the store is located.

Looking ahead, experts think the number of Retail Sales Worker jobs will stay about the same between 2023 and 2033. Even though the number of jobs isn’t expected to grow much, there will still be a lot of job openings each year – around 582,200! This is mostly because many people who work in these jobs move on to other things.

Interestingly, jobs for Cashiers (people who just ring up your purchases) are expected to go down because of things like self-checkout machines and online shopping. This means that the parts of a Retail Sales Worker’s job that involve talking to customers and knowing about the products are more stable.

One big change happening is that more people are shopping online. This means fewer people might go to physical stores. But, stores are also trying to make shopping in person better by having helpful salespeople.

II. What Does a Retail Sales Worker Do?

The U.S. government says that Retail Sales Workers are people who sell things like clothes, car parts, and equipment directly to people. This big group includes different job titles, like “Retail Salespersons” who sell all kinds of things in stores, and “Parts Salespersons” who know a lot about specific items like car or appliance parts. You might also hear them called Sales Associates or Sales Representatives. They are important because they connect stores with the people who want to buy things. For example, someone selling cars or someone selling auto parts are both Retail Sales Workers.

It’s important to know that Retail Sales Workers are not exactly the same as Cashiers. While salespeople might sometimes handle money, Cashiers mostly just deal with payments. Retail Sales Workers do more – they help you find what you need and tell you about it.

Also, Retail Sales Workers are different from “Sales Managers.” Managers are in charge of planning and leading sales teams. Retail Sales Workers are usually the ones on the floor helping customers.

There are a lot of Retail Sales Workers in the U.S. – over 4 million in 2023! However, they don’t make as much money on average ($34,730 a year) compared to all sales jobs ($37,460) or all jobs in general ($49,500). This is probably because you don’t usually need a lot of school to get these jobs, unlike some other sales jobs that require college degrees and pay much more. Because it’s easier to get these jobs, there are a lot of them, but the pay isn’t as high as jobs that need more training.

III. What Do They Do Every Day?

Retail Sales Workers do many different things throughout the day. They help customers, sell products, handle payments, and help keep the store looking good. Here’s a closer look:

• Helping Customers: The main part of their job is talking to customers. They say hello when you come in, figure out what you’re looking for, answer your questions about products, store rules (like returns), prices, and sales. They might suggest things you might like, help you find items, or even order something for you if the store doesn’t have it.
• Selling Products: They don’t just answer questions; they also help you buy things. They might show you how something works, explain why it’s good, and tell you about any deals or store rewards programs. Sometimes they might even try to sell you other things that go well with what you’re buying.
• Handling Money: When you’re ready to pay, they often ring you up. This means adding up the cost, taking your payment (cash or card), giving you change, and handling returns or exchanges. They need to know how to use the store’s checkout system. They might also bag your items or wrap them if it’s a gift.
• Store Stuff: They also help with keeping the store organized. This includes putting new items on shelves and displays, making sure the store looks nice and clean. They might also count how many of each item the store has, unpack deliveries, put price tags on things, and report if something is missing.
• Keeping the Store Safe and Following Rules: They need to watch out for anything that could be a security problem, like someone trying to steal. They also have to follow all the store’s rules and procedures.
• Special Jobs: If they sell more complicated things, like car parts, they might need to know a lot of technical information to help customers find the right part and even give estimates for repairs.

Because stores want to save money, they often look for workers who can do many different things. This means a Retail Sales Worker might spend part of their day helping customers and another part stocking shelves. The job is more than just standing behind a counter; it’s about making the shopping experience good for the customer and helping the store run smoothly.

IV. What Skills and Qualities Do You Need?

You usually don’t need a lot of school to become a Retail Sales Worker, but you do need a good mix of skills, especially when it comes to dealing with people and getting things done.

• School and Training: Most of the time, you don’t need a high school diploma to get started. However, some stores might prefer it. You’ll almost always get training on the job, which can last from a few days to a few months. This training teaches you about customer service, store rules, safety, and how to use the checkout system. If you’re selling something specific, like electronics or car parts, you might get extra training on those products.
• Important Skills:
  • People Skills: This is super important! You need to be able to talk to people clearly, listen to what they need, be friendly and polite, and understand how they’re feeling. Being genuinely helpful is a big plus. You also need to be able to handle it if a customer is upset.
  • Sales Skills: Even if it’s an entry-level job, you’re still selling. You need to know enough about the products to answer questions and make suggestions. Sometimes you might need to persuade someone to buy something or sell them related items. Being determined and willing to go the extra mile to make a sale is helpful.
  • Getting Things Done Skills: You need basic math for handling money and giving the right change. You’ll also need to learn how to use the store’s computer system and checkout machine quickly. Knowing how to keep track of inventory and make displays look nice is also often needed.
• Personal Qualities: Besides skills, certain personality traits are important. You should be professional, enthusiastic, positive, reliable, and on time. You need to be able to stay calm and work well when things get busy. Being able to manage your time, do more than one thing at once, adjust to changes, and work well with others is also key.
• Physical Stuff: You’ll probably be on your feet a lot. You might need to lift some boxes of products. You’ll need to be able to see clearly up close to do things like scan items and handle money, and you’ll need to be able to use your hands to work the equipment.

Even though it’s not hard to get into this job, doing well and moving up often depends on how good you are with people, how much you care about helping customers, and how well you can handle the tasks of the job. Stores really value people who can connect with customers and provide good service, especially now that so many people shop online.

V. How Much Do They Get Paid?

How much Retail Sales Workers earn depends on a few things: the specific job, the type of store, where the store is, and how much experience the person has. Here’s a look at the average pay:

• Average Pay in the U.S. (May 2024):
  • The average yearly pay for all Retail Sales Workers was $34,730, which is about $16.70 per hour.
  • This is less than the average pay for all jobs in the U.S., which was $49,500 a year or $23.80 per hour.
  • It’s also less than the average hourly pay for all sales jobs, which was $18.01 per hour.
• Different Types of Retail Sales Jobs:
  • People who sell general things in stores (Retail Salespersons) made around $16.62 per hour on average.
  • People who sell parts (like for cars) made more, around $18.00 per hour on average.
  • The pay range varies too. Some Retail Salespersons made less than $12.31 an hour, while the highest earners made over $23.05 an hour. For Parts Salespersons, the range was even wider, from under $13.35 to over $29.69 per hour. This shows that if you have more specialized knowledge, like with parts, you might be able to earn more.
• How Pay Has Changed:
  • If we look back at the average hourly pay for Retail Salespersons, it has gone up a little over the years:
    • May 2023: $16.19
    • May 2022: $14.71
    • May 2019: $12.14
  • Even though the pay has increased, it’s still lower than the average pay for all jobs, meaning the pay in this field hasn’t grown as fast as in other areas.
• Pay in Different Industries (May 2024):
  • The type of store you work in can also affect your pay. For Retail Salespersons, the average hourly pay was higher in places like:
    • Stores that sell building materials and garden equipment: $17.42
    • Stores that sell furniture, home goods, electronics, and appliances: $17.24
  • It was lower in places like:
    • General merchandise stores (like department stores): $16.33
  • For Parts Salespersons, higher average pay was found in:
    • Wholesale businesses: $23.36
    • Repair and maintenance services: $22.54
    • Car dealerships: $21.00
  • It was lower in:
    • Stores that sell car parts, accessories, and tires: $16.30
  • This makes sense because selling more expensive or complicated items often requires more knowledge and might come with higher pay.
• Pay in Different Places:
  • Where you live can also change how much you get paid. Places with a higher cost of living or different minimum wage laws might have different pay scales. For example, in 2023, states like Washington, New York, and California had higher average hourly wages for Retail Salespersons, while states like Texas and South Carolina had lower averages. Big cities like San Francisco and New York City also tended to have higher pay.
• Other Pay Information:
  • Some websites that track salaries might give slightly different numbers because they get their information in different ways. For example, some reports from 2025 show slightly different average hourly rates in specific areas or for specific types of retail jobs.

Overall, while Retail Sales Workers don’t make as much as the average worker, their pay can vary quite a bit depending on what they sell, where they work, and the type of store.

VI. How Many Jobs Are There and What’s the Future Like?

Retail Sales is a big field with lots of jobs, but it’s also changing due to new technology and how people like to shop.

• How Many Jobs Now?
  • In 2023, there were about 4,078,000 Retail Sales Worker jobs in the U.S. This includes around 3.8 million Retail Salespersons and about 267,900 Parts Salespersons. To give you an idea, there were about 3.3 million Cashier jobs in the same year. The number of Retail Sales jobs was higher in 2019 but went down after that, probably because more people started shopping online and things changed during the pandemic. Now, the number of jobs seems to have leveled off a bit.
• What’s Expected in the Future (2023-2033)?
  • Experts predict that the total number of Retail Sales Worker jobs will stay about the same (0% growth) between 2023 and 2033. This means the number of jobs isn’t expected to go up or down much.
  • This is different from what’s expected for other related jobs:
    • Cashier jobs are expected to decrease by 11%.
    • Overall sales jobs are expected to decrease by 2%.
    • All jobs in general are expected to increase by 3%.
  • The fact that Retail Sales jobs are expected to stay steady while Cashier jobs go down suggests that the parts of a salesperson’s job that involve talking to customers and knowing about products are more secure than just handling money.
• Job Openings:
  • Even though the total number of jobs isn’t growing, there are expected to be a lot of job openings each year – around 582,200! This is because many people who work in these jobs don’t stay in them for a long time; they might move to different jobs or leave the workforce. This high turnover means there will always be new job openings.
• What’s Causing These Changes?
  • Online Shopping: More and more people are buying things online, which means fewer people might go to physical stores, potentially leading to fewer jobs in those stores.
  • Focus on Customer Service: To compete with online stores, physical stores might try to offer better customer service. This could mean they need skilled salespeople who can really help customers and build relationships.
  • Doing More Than One Thing: Stores might want to hire people who can do more than just sell, like help customers, handle payments, and stock shelves. This could change the job a bit, making it more of a general “store associate” role.

The future of Retail Sales jobs looks like it will be stable in terms of numbers, but there will be a lot of people moving in and out of these jobs. The job might also change to focus more on customer interaction as online shopping becomes more common.

VII. Where Do They Work and What’s It Like?

Retail Sales Workers usually work inside retail stores that are clean and well-lit, like clothing stores, electronics stores, or car dealerships. But if they sell things like cars, building supplies, or plants, they might work outside sometimes. They are always talking to customers. About 9 out of 10 say they have constant contact with people, and most think dealing with customers is a very important part of their job.

The job often requires standing for long periods, sometimes for the whole shift. They might also need to walk around the store, get products, and lift or move boxes of items (sometimes up to 20-50 pounds). They need to be able to see things clearly up close to scan items and handle money, and they need to be able to use their hands to work the equipment.

The stores that hire the most Retail Sales Workers are:

• Clothing and accessories stores
• General merchandise stores (like department stores)
• Building material and supplies stores
• Sporting goods, hobby, and musical instrument stores

Parts Salespersons often work in:

• Stores that sell car parts, accessories, and tires
• Car dealerships
• Wholesale businesses

Compared to this, Cashiers are often found in grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants.

Retail stores are usually open during evenings, weekends, and holidays, so Retail Sales Workers often have schedules that include these times. They might also need to work extra hours during busy periods like holidays. While this can offer some flexibility, it can also make it harder to balance work and personal life and might be one reason why there’s a lot of turnover in these jobs, especially since the pay isn’t usually very high and the work can be physically demanding.

VIII. How Can You Move Up?

A job as a Retail Sales Worker is often a good way to get started working, and it can give you some basic work experience. But if you want to build a long-term career, you’ll usually need to gain experience, learn new skills, and maybe get more education.

• Starting Out: Because you don’t need a lot of formal education, this job is often a first job for many people or a way to get into sales or customer service. You’ll learn basic sales skills, how to talk to customers, and how a retail store works.
• Getting Ahead: If you do well and gain experience, you can often move up in the store. You might get more responsibilities, a chance to work in a department you like (maybe one where you can earn more commission), and earn more money. A common path is to become a supervisor, like a shift leader or department supervisor, and then maybe an Assistant Store Manager or Store Manager. Doing well in your job, like meeting sales goals and getting good feedback from customers, will likely help you get promoted.
• What You Need to Move Up: While you don’t always need a college degree to start, some employers might prefer people with a bachelor’s degree for management positions. To move up, you