Retail Salespersons

Career Overview

Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers.

Also Known As

• Sales Associate
• Sales Clerk
• Sales Consultant
• Sales Person

Alternate Job Titles

• Art Dealer
• Art Objects Salesperson
• Auto Dealer
• Automobile Accessories Salesperson
• Automobile Salesman
• Automobiles Salesperson
• Automotive Salesperson
• Bakery Clerk
• Bargain Table Clerk
• Beauty Advisor
• Beauty Consultant
• Beauty Counselor
• Boats and Marine Supplies Sales Representative
• Books Salesperson
• Car Dealer

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• 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.
• Demonstrate use or operation of merchandise.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• Sales and Marketing
• Customer and Personal Service
• English Language

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

1. Persuasion
2. Active Listening
3. Speaking
4. Service Orientation

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Oral Expression
• Oral Comprehension
• Speech Recognition
• Speech Clarity
• Problem Sensitivity
• Written Expression
• Written Comprehension
• Information Ordering
• Near Vision
• Selective Attention

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Social Orientation
• Optimism
• Dependability
• Cooperation
• Perseverance

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Relationships
• Support
• Achievement
• Independence
• Recognition

Education & Preparation

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

On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months

Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Adobe Acrobat
• Adobe Creative Cloud software
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe InDesign
• Adobe Photoshop
• Apple macOS
• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Eclipse IDE
• Facebook
• Google Docs

Tools & Equipment

• Adjustable widemouth pliers
• Adjustable wrenches
• Barcode scanners
• Cash registers
• Clothing irons
• Clothing steamers
• Computerized cash registers
• Credit card processing machines
• Desktop computers
• Electronic funds transfer EFT terminals
• Gas consoles
• Hammers
• Handheld calculators
• Ladders
• Lottery machines

Work Environment

• Contact With Others
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Telephone Conversations
• Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$25,600
Median	$34,580
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$47,930

Workers Employed Nationally: 3,800,250

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

---

---

Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.