Sales Associate job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

14

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

No formal educational credential

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$35,410

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Retail Salespersons (O*NET-SOC 41-2031.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs. importance 4.8 of 5
2. Recommend, select, and help locate or obtain merchandise based on customer needs and desires. importance 4.7 of 5
3. Compute sales prices, total purchases, and receive and process cash or credit payment. importance 4.6 of 5
4. Prepare merchandise for purchase or rental. importance 4.5 of 5
5. Answer questions regarding the store and its merchandise. importance 4.5 of 5
6. Maintain knowledge of current sales and promotions, policies regarding payment and exchanges, and security practices. importance 4.5 of 5
7. Demonstrate use or operation of merchandise. importance 4.3 of 5
8. Describe merchandise and explain use, operation, and care of merchandise to customers. importance 4.3 of 5
9. Ticket, arrange, and display merchandise to promote sales. importance 4.3 of 5
10. Inventory stock and requisition new stock. importance 4.2 of 5
11. Exchange merchandise for customers and accept returns. importance 4.2 of 5
12. Watch for and recognize security risks and thefts and know how to prevent or handle these situations. importance 4.1 of 5
13. Place special orders or call other stores to find desired items. importance 3.7 of 5
14. Clean shelves, counters, and tables. importance 3.7 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Selling or Influencing Others, Getting Information, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships and Making Decisions and Solving Problems.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Maintain records related to sales.
• Open and close cash registers, performing tasks such as counting money, separating charge slips, coupons, and vouchers, balancing cash drawers, and making deposits.
• Prepare sales slips or sales contracts.
• Estimate and quote trade-in allowances.
• Bag or package purchases and wrap gifts.
• Help customers try on or fit merchandise.

Knowledge areas: Sales and Marketing, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Administration and Management and Mathematics.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk AutoCAD, Facebook. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a sales associate.

Most sales associates surveyed by O*NET (63%) name a high school diploma or equivalent as the education the job requires.

Job title: Sales Associate
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Sales Associate to sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- 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.
- Describe merchandise and explain use, operation, and care of merchandise to customers.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists no formal educational credential as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in persuasion, service orientation and active listening
- Working knowledge of Sales and Marketing and Customer and Personal Service
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Adobe Creative Cloud software or Adobe Illustrator]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $35,410 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $17.03. BLS estimates about 3,897,860 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Retail Salespersons to decline 0.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 520,600 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full sales associate salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real sales associate posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only sales associate work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (persuasion and service orientation); sales associate interview questions turns them into practice questions.