Retail Salespersons
SOC Code: 41-2031 Job Zone 2: Some Preparation Needed
Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers.
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Prevailing Wage Levels (National)
DOL/OFLC prevailing wage thresholds for Retail Salespersons. Hourly rates x 2,080 = annual.
FY2027 Weighted Lottery Impact
| Level | Lottery Entries | Est. Selection Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Level I (Entry) | 1 entry | ~16% |
| Level II (Qualified) | 2 entries | ~31% |
| Level III (Experienced) | 3 entries | ~45% |
| Level IV (Expert) | 4 entries | ~61% |
Prevailing Wages by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $39,291 | $43,638 | $47,986 | $52,333 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $38,064 | $42,806 | $47,528 | $52,270 |
| Napa, CA | $36,982 | $41,662 | $46,322 | $51,002 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $36,171 | $40,706 | $45,261 | $49,795 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $35,235 | $40,040 | $44,845 | $49,650 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $36,462 | $40,851 | $45,219 | $49,608 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $28,163 | $35,152 | $42,120 | $49,109 |
| East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $26,187 | $33,821 | $41,454 | $49,088 |
| Carson City, NV | $28,413 | $35,152 | $41,891 | $48,630 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $34,029 | $38,854 | $43,701 | $48,526 |
Key Skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Persuasion | 3.9 | |
| Service Orientation | 3.8 | |
| Active Listening | 3.8 | |
| Speaking | 3.8 | |
| Negotiation | 3.5 | |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.5 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.1 | |
| Active Learning | 3.0 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 | |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
Knowledge Areas
| Knowledge | Importance |
|---|---|
| Sales and Marketing | 4.5 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.3 |
| English Language | 3.7 |
| Administration and Management | 3.0 |
| Mathematics | 3.0 |
| Administrative | 3.0 |
| Psychology | 2.9 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.8 |
Education Requirements
| Education Level | % of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma | 63.5% |
| Less than high school | 19.3% |
| Associate's degree | 9.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 4.0% |
| Some college | 2.0% |
| Post-secondary certificate | 1.4% |
Typical Tasks
- Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs.
- Maintain knowledge of current sales and promotions, policies regarding payment and exchanges, and security practices.
- Compute sales prices, total purchases, and receive and process cash or credit payment.
- Watch for and recognize security risks and thefts and know how to prevent or handle these situations.
- Recommend, select, and help locate or obtain merchandise based on customer needs and desires.
- Answer questions regarding the store and its merchandise.
- Describe merchandise and explain use, operation, and care of merchandise to customers.
- Ticket, arrange, and display merchandise to promote sales.
Technology Skills
Green = Hot Technology in demand
Adobe Acrobat Adobe Creative Cloud software Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Adobe Photoshop Apple macOS Autodesk AutoCAD Eclipse IDE Facebook Google Docs Intuit QuickBooks Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook
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