Employers often pay workers in the retail trade industry by the hour, but some workers also earn a commission: a percentage of the sales they make. As a result, retail workers' wages often vary with economic conditions.
Outlook. Between 2012 and 2022, BLS projects employment in retail trade to grow about 7 percent, adding more than 1 million workers. Despite this growth, BLS also projects a slight decline in the retail industry’s share of total nonfarm employment.
Occupation highlights
Four occupations — retail salespersons, cashiers, stock clerks and order fillers, and supervisors of retail sales workers — accounted for nearly two-thirds of employment in the retail trade industry.
Although wages in retail trade are low overall, median wages for most of the occupations with the largest employment were higher than those for the industry as a whole in May 2013. (See table.) The highest paying occupations in the table, pharmacists and general and operations managers, both require postsecondary education; pharmacists typically need a doctoral or professional degree.
In contrast, the lowest paying occupations shown — hand packers and packagers and cashiers — typically include short-term on-the-job training but have no formal educational requirements. Below are descriptions of the 10 largest occupations in the retail trade industry.
Occupation | Employment in retail trade | Wages in retail trade |
---|---|---|
Retail salespersons |
4,196,800 | $21,010 |
Cashiers |
2,755,130 | 18,980 |
Stock clerks and order fillers |
1,239,270 | 20,870 |
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers |
1,104,490 | 37,020 |
Hand laborers and freight, stock, and material movers |
321,750 | 21,300 |
Customer service representatives |
294,270 | 24,280 |
Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
292,790 | 38,100 |
Pharmacy technicians |
266,230 | 28,220 |
General and operations managers |
219,260 | 75,280 |
Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food |
205,350 | 19,610 |
General office clerks |
188,990 | 25,130 |
Pharmacists |
183,160 | 121,680 |
Hand packers and packagers |
179,160 | 18,770 |
Light truck or delivery services drivers |
171,470 | 23,110 |
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
166,430 | 31,290 |
First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers |
162,840 | 36,800 |
Parts salespersons |
156,990 | 27,650 |
Food preparation workers |
154,850 | 19,850 |
Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks |
150,880 | 25,240 |
Butchers and meat cutters |
121,230 | 28,450 |
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics |
Retail salespersons. Retail salespersons mainly sell products and interact with customers. Sometimes, they also stock shelves, prepare merchandise displays, and handle customer payments.
According to BLS, there were 4.5 million retail salespersons overall in May 2013, most of them in retail trade. Between 2012 and 2022, BLS projects this occupation to have average employment growth. Almost 2 million job openings overall are expected, due to growth and the need to replace workers who leave the occupation.
Cashiers. Cashiers handle customer payments, answer questions about store policies, and bag purchases.
There were 3.3 million cashiers overall in May 2013, most of them working in retail trade. Between 2012 and 2022, BLS projects employment in this occupation to have slower than average growth, with automation of cashier job duties expected to limit growth. Still, about 1.5 million job openings overall are projected to result from employment growth and the need to replace workers who leave the occupation.
Stock clerks and order fillers. Stock clerks take care of merchandise in the stock room, and track down moved items. They also make note of damaged products, verify inventory, and arrange storage. Order fillers retrieve customer orders, locate the goods, and prepare them for shipping. Additionally, they complete order receipts and keep records of outgoing orders.
There were 1.8 million stock clerks and order fillers overall in May 2013; most worked in retail trade. Between 2012 and 2022, BLS projects employment in this occupation to stay about the same as job duties become automated. About 546,000 job openings are expected overall, due to the need to replace workers who leave the occupation.
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers. These workers manage a team of retail salespersons, oversee sales, ensure customer satisfaction, and help staff with complicated transactions. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers may also have administrative tasks, such as budgeting and accounting.
There were 1.2 million first-line supervisors of retail sales workers overall in May 2013, with most employed in retail trade. Between 2012 and 2022, BLS projects this occupation to have slower than average employment growth. About 419,800 job openings overall are expected to arise from that growth and from the need to replace workers who leave the occupation.
Hand laborers and freight, stock, and material movers. These workers transport goods to and from storage, production areas, loading docks, or delivery trucks. When unloading merchandise, they sort and keep track of packages to ensure delivery. Increasingly, sensors and tags have automated parts of the job, allowing workers to move quickly while still keeping track of products.
There were nearly 2.3 million hand laborers and freight, stock, and material movers employed overall in May 2013; about 14 percent of them worked in the retail trade industry. Between 2012 and 2022, BLS projects this occupation to have average employment growth. About 922,500 job openings overall are expected, due to growth and the need to replace workers who leave the occupation.
Customer service representatives. As the face, or voice, of their business, customer service representatives provide information about its products and services. They also process orders and handle customer complaints.
There were almost 2.4 million customer service representatives employed overall in May 2013, about 12 percent of whom worked in the retail trade industry. Between 2012 and 2022, BLS projects this occupation to have average employment growth. About 941,600 job openings overall are expected to arise from growth and from the need to replace workers who leave the occupation.
Automotive service technicians and mechanics. These workers inspect, maintain, and repair cars and light trucks.
There were nearly 605,000 automotive service technicians and mechanics employed overall in May 2013, nearly half of them in retail trade. Between 2012 and 2022, BLS projects this occupation to have average employment growth. About 237,600 job openings overall are expected, due to this growth and the need to replace workers who leave the occupation.
Pharmacy technicians. These workers help pharmacists dispense prescription medication to customers. Most work in retail pharmacies or hospitals under supervising pharmacists, who review prescriptions before patients get them. In retail pharmacies, pharmacy technicians take customer payments, organize pharmacy inventory, and process insurance claims.
There were 362,690 pharmacy technicians overall in May 2013, most of whom worked in retail trade. Between 2012 and 2022, BLS projects this occupation to have faster than average employment growth. About 105,900 job openings overall are expected to arise from that growth and from the need to replace workers who leave the occupation.
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