Retail Salespersons
Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers.
What it pays
Retail Salespersons earn a median of $17.03/hr — about $35,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $13.08/hr; the top 10% earn $23.02/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Retail Salespersons earn a median of $17.03/hr — about $35,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $13.08/hr; the top 10% earn $23.02/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
- Prepare merchandise for purchase or rental.
- Answer questions regarding the store and its merchandise.
- Maintain knowledge of current sales and promotions, policies regarding payment and exchanges, and security practices.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Less than high school. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
The feel of the work
You're around people constantly. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 4% of retail salespersons are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are take-charge, organized and detail-focused and hands-on.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Advertising Sales Agents
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
- Real Estate Brokers
- Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
- First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
Quick questions
- How much does a retail salesperson make?
- The median pay is $17.03 per hour — roughly $35,500 a year, with the real range running from about $13.08/hr (10th percentile) to $23.02/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a retail salesperson?
- The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a retail salesperson actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.