Also called: Retail Salesperson, Sales Floor Associate
Helps shoppers find products, answers questions, and makes sales in stores.
You greet customers, recommend a pair of running shoes based on how they run, restock shelves, and work the register. It's one of the most common first jobs in America.
BLS median roughly $35k; commissioned sales (cars, furniture, electronics) pay more.
No formal education, about 0 years after high school. No formal education required.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Shrinking. BLS projects slight decline as online shopping grows.
Medium risk for 10 years. Self-checkout, online shopping and shelf robots cut some store jobs; expert advice and helping shoppers in person remain.
Age 16+. One way to start: Apply online or in person at clothing, grocery or big-box stores; many hire at 16
Classes: Marketing CTE class, Speech and debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 41-2031.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.