Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz
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Retail Salespersons
Retail Salespersons sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers.
Table of contents
What they do
Retail Salespersons sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers.
- Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs.
- Recommend, select, and help locate or obtain merchandise based on customer needs and desires.
- Maintain records related to sales.
- Compute sales prices, total purchases, and receive and process cash or credit payments.
Typical day
On a daily basis, Retail Salespersons greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs. They bag or package purchases and wrap gifts.
A typical day for a Retail Salesperson will also include:
- Open and close cash registers, performing tasks such as counting money, separating charge slips, coupons, and vouchers, balancing cash drawers, and making deposits.
- Compute sales prices, total purchases, and receive and process cash or credit payments.
- Answer questions regarding the store and its merchandise.
- Recommend, select, and help locate or obtain merchandise based on customer needs and desires.
- Maintain records related to sales.
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Retail Salespersons also clean shelves, counters, and tables. They may also estimate the quantity and cost of merchandise required, such as paint or floor covering.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Retail Salespersons place special orders or call other stores to find desired items. They might also exchange merchandise for customers and accept returns.
In addition, they sell or arrange for delivery, insurance, financing, or service contracts for merchandise.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them estimate the cost of repair or alteration of merchandise.
To some Retail Salespersons, it is also their responsibility to ticket, arrange, and display merchandise to promote sales.
Freedom to make decisions
How much decision making freedom does this job offer?
Structured vs unstructured work
To what extent is this job structured for you versus allowing you to determine your own tasks, priorities, and goals?
Featured Schools
What is the job like
Job satisfaction
Is this job meaningful
55% said they were satisfied with their job and 35% said they found their job meaningful.
My typical day at my current job is walking around a 150k square feet showroom floor looking for customers to help. My current place of employment is pretty stress-free, but I’ve worked at plenty of stressful commission sales jobs. They are stressful due to the pressure coming from upper management. Pros You’re paid based on … Read More
I spent five years working in retail across several different retail businesses. Retail is a rollercoaster of the highs and lows of the human experience. On the bright side, you get to help people and meet many cool people whether they be your customers or your coworkers. On the low side, you often bear witness … Read More
Nobody would say that retail sales is a glamorous job, it can, however, be very rewarding. While a certain part of the job involves a considerable amount of customer interaction, there is plenty of behind-the-scenes work as well. Right from managing the sales, to organizing the receipts and cash register, totaling the purchases, and tallying … Read More
While doing a master’s degree at the Australian National University, I worked as a Retail Assistant at ALDI, Canberra, Australia. My responsibility entailed restocking shelves fully on daily basis. I maintained and cleaned the store floor and shelves as and when due. In addition, I operated manual pallet moving equipment as well as help our … Read More
I am responsible for my team reaching our goals each month. I manage a team of 6 (and our commission relies on the whole group reaching our goals) so the short-term performance of each sales rep is very important. My job is to make sure we on track and to assist my team in general. … Read More
I am currently working as a retail jewelry store owner. I have worked in retail from the age of 19 years old. I first started working for a small Pandora store in London. A role in retail is really like being an actor, you have to smile and be your most sunny and polite self, … Read More
Pros
Suitable for people who like to start and carry out projects.
Suitable for people who value relationships between co-workers and customers and want to work in a friendly non-competitive environment.
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
It is easy to get into this career. Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.
Short working hours (Less than 40 hours per week).
Cons
Not suitable for people who like to solve problems mentally.
One of the lowest paying jobs.
How much do they make
Average salary
Average hourly wage
Entry-level Retail Salespersons with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $19,740 to $22,900 per year or $9 to $11 per hour.
| Salary by experience | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Highest (Top 10%) | $44,570 | $21 |
| Senior (Top 25%) | $32,990 | $16 |
| Median | $27,080 | $13 |
| Junior (Bottom 25%) | $22,900 | $11 |
| No experience (Bottom 10%) | $19,740 | $9 |
This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Retail Salespersons based on their average annual salary.
| Salary by industry | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | $52150 | $25.07 |
| Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $49540 | $23.82 |
| Machinery Manufacturing | $48990 | $23.55 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | $46670 | $22.44 |
| Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing | $46400 | $22.31 |
| Automobile Dealers | $45420 | $21.84 |
| Rubber Product Manufacturing | $44780 | $21.53 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Repair and Maintenance | $44390 | $21.34 |
| Building Finishing Contractors | $43820 | $21.07 |
| Other Motor Vehicle Dealers | $43250 | $20.79 |
View more salary by industries here.
Where can they work
Where can Retail Salespersons work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Retail Salespersons including the average salary in that industry.
| Employers | Total Employed | Annual Salary | Hourly Wages |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Merchandise Stores | 753430 | $27050 | $13.01 |
| Clothing Stores | 446800 | $28680 | $13.79 |
| Building Material and Supplies Dealers | 436470 | $32180 | $15.47 |
| Automobile Dealers | 239930 | $45420 | $21.84 |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores | 224170 | $27490 | $13.21 |
| Miscellaneous Store Retailers | 170480 | $26990 | $12.98 |
| Electronics and Appliance Stores | 144640 | $32560 | $15.65 |
| Health and Personal Care Stores | 129260 | $29960 | $14.40 |
| Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers | 123310 | $29950 | $14.40 |
| Food and Beverage Stores | 122340 | $29420 | $14.14 |
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What is the work day like
Working hours
Working schedule
Work with group or team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Deal with external customers
How important is it to work with customers in this job?
Manage or lead others
How important is it to coordinate or lead others in completing work activities in this job?
How often do you use email in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Group discussions
How often do you have group discussions in this job?
Public speaking
How often does this job require you to do public speaking?
Frequency of conflict situations
How often are there conflict situations in this job?
Dealing with angry people
How often do you have to deal with angry, unpleasant, or discourteous individuals in this job?
Dealing with physically aggressive people
How often do you have to deal with physically aggressive people in this job?
Level of competition
How much competitive pressure is in this job?
Repetition in this job
How important is repeating the same type of task over and over in this job?
Impact of decisions on co-workers or company results
What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the reputation or financial resources of your employer?
Frequency of decision making
How frequently do you have to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the reputation of the company?
Responsibility for others’ health and safety
How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
Responsibility for outcomes and results
How much responsibility is there for the work outcomes and results of other workers?
What is the work environment like
Office-style environment
Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition
Warehouse-style environment
Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse
Outdoors
Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions
Outdoors – Under Cover
Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)
How to become one
Difficulty to become one
Required level of education
What level of education do you need to perform the job?
Relevant work experience
How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?
On The Job Training
How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?
Should you become one
Best personality type for this career
People with this personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tend to like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk-taking and often deal with business.
They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.
Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.
Work Values
Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?
You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.
You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.
You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.
You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.
You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.
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