Retail Salespersons
Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers.
Also called: Car Salesman · Customer Assistant · Retail Salesperson · Sales Associate · Sales Clerk · Sales Consultant
Median pay (national)
$34,580
$25,600–$47,930 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
3,800,250
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-0.5%
~555,800 openings/yr
Typical entry
No formal educational credential
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for retail salespersons shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $47,930 versus $25,600 at the bottom 10% — 1.9x. The median of $34,580 leaves roughly 39% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change -0.5% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 555,800 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 54 states with released data, Washington pays the most for this role (median $38,350, +11% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $21,360 — a 80% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
Tailor your resume to Retail Salespersons
Honest tailoring
See how your resume lines up with Retail Salespersons
Refit re-angles your real experience toward this role using the skills above — and never invents skills you don't have. A no-fabrication gate checks every change before you see it.
Free. No account needed to see your first re-fit.
Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs.
- Recommend, select, and help locate or obtain merchandise based on customer needs and desires.
- Answer questions regarding the store and its merchandise.
- Maintain knowledge of current sales and promotions, policies regarding payment and exchanges, and security practices.
- Describe merchandise and explain use, operation, and care of merchandise to customers.
- Exchange merchandise for customers and accept returns.
- Watch for and recognize security risks and thefts and know how to prevent or handle these situations.
- Place special orders or call other stores to find desired items.
- Clean shelves, counters, and tables.
- Prepare merchandise for purchase or rental.
Tools & technology
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Apple macOS
- Apple Safari
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Eclipse IDE
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Microsoft Edge
- Microsoft Windows
- Mozilla Firefox
- Oracle PeopleSoft
- Salesforce software
- SAP software
Knowledge areas
- Sales and Marketing
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Mathematics
- Administrative
- Psychology
- Computers and Electronics