A real day
This comes from the O*NET task lists for retail salespersons (41-2031.00) and cashiers (41-2011.00), read October 31, 2026.
- Open. A cashier counts the money in the drawer. A salesperson learns today's sales and promotions, since you will be asked about them.
- Most of the shift. You greet people, find out what they want, and help them find it. You ring up sales, take payments and answer the same questions again. Between customers you price items, build displays and restock.
- The parts people dislike. Returns and exchanges. Complaints. Watching for theft. Calling other stores to hunt down an item. Cleaning: O*NET's cashier list includes mopping floors and emptying trash cans.
- Close. A cashier adds up what came in and checks it against total sales. If it comes up short, expect to be asked why.
What it demands from your body and schedule
Share of workers who told O*NET this describes their job (read October 31, 2026).
Scroll horizontally to view every column.
| Demand | Retail salespersons | Cashiers |
|---|---|---|
| In constant contact with people | 89% | 96% |
| Unpleasant or angry people, every day | 22% | 26% |
| Unpleasant or angry people, at least weekly but not daily | 59% | 58% |
| Standing, continually or almost continually | 46% | 51% |
| Less than 40 hours a week | 53% | 57% |
Those two rows on angry customers are the heart of this job. About 8 in 10 store workers deal with one at least weekly. BLS says dealing with dissatisfied customers can be stressful, and that cashier work is often repetitive (BLS OOH, read October 31, 2026). Some of it is worse than rude: 21% of cashiers report violent or physically aggressive people at least monthly but not weekly (O*NET).
Your hours can move. Federal law has almost no scheduling rule. An employer "may change an employee's work hours without giving prior notice or obtaining the employee's consent," unless an agreement says otherwise (U.S. DOL FLSA FAQ, read October 31, 2026). Federal law also does not require extra pay for weekends or nights. A few places do protect your schedule, and part-time jobs and your rights lists them. Call your city or state labor office to check.
To be fair, 85% of salespersons and 83% of cashiers told O*NET their schedule is "regular." So not every store shifts its schedule weekly. But regular does not mean daytime. Cashiers may work early mornings, late evenings, weekends and holidays (BLS OOH). A Target seasonal posting in Dallas says schedules "vary in hours and span all days of the week" (read October 31, 2026).
The injury numbers. Retail trade had 3.0 recordable injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers in 2024, against 2.3 for all private industry (BLS SOII, 2024). The store type matters more than the word "retail":
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| Store type (2024) | Injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers |
|---|---|
| Warehouse clubs and supercenters | 5.0 |
| General merchandise stores | 4.4 |
| Grocery stores | 4.0 |
| Pharmacies and drug stores | 1.8 |
| Clothing and accessories stores | 1.5 |
| All private industry | 2.3 |
What that means: a supercenter is about twice the private average, and a clothing store is well below it. The difference looks like freight, though BLS does not state a cause. The Target posting asks you to climb ladders and frequently lift or move merchandise up to 40 pounds. If lifting is your limit, ask to see what the job involves before you accept.
What you would take home
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| Job (BLS code) | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail salespersons (41-2031) | $13.08 | $17.03 | $23.02 |
| Cashiers (41-2011) | $11.79 | $15.81 | $19.43 |
| Stockers and order fillers (53-7065) | $14.48 | $17.95 | $23.68 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. For your metro, see pay benchmarks. Do not budget on 40 hours. Production workers in retail trade averaged 30.7 hours a week in September 2026, a preliminary figure (BLS).
Scroll horizontally to view every column.
| Example | Hours | Gross | SS and Medicare | Federal tax | Take-home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonal store job, $16.00 (Target, Dallas) | 20 | $320.00 | $24.48 | $1.04 | $294.48 |
| Cashier at the median, $15.81 | 25 | $395.25 | $30.24 | $8.56 | $356.45 |
| Salesperson at the median, $17.03 | 30 | $510.90 | $39.08 | $20.13 | $451.69 |
| Same job after hours are cut, $17.03 | 22 | $374.66 | $28.66 | $6.50 | $339.50 |
| Salesperson at full time, $17.03 | 40 | $681.20 | $52.11 | $39.82 | $589.27 |
Assumptions: single filer, standard W-4, paid weekly, using IRS Publication 15-T (2026). Social Security and Medicare at 7.65% (IRS Topic 751). No state income tax, as in Texas; most states take more. More: your first paycheck explained.
Look at rows three and four. Same job, same rate. Losing 8 hours in a week costs you $112.19 in take-home. If your rent depends on one store's schedule, budget on your lowest recent week, not your best one.
Good fit, bad fit
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| Good fit if | Bad fit if |
|---|---|
| Talking to strangers all day gives you energy | You carry a rude customer home with you |
| You need part-time hours around school or a second job | You need the same dollar amount every week |
| You can work weekends and holidays, when stores need people most | You cannot work weekends, or you have fixed childcare hours |
| You can stay calm saying no to a return | Being watched for accuracy on a cash drawer stresses you out |
| You cannot lift much, and you pick a clothing or drug store | You must sit for health reasons. Half of cashiers stand almost all shift |
Prefer a seat and a headset to a sales floor? Read the customer service jobs guide. Prefer freight to customers? Read the warehouse jobs guide. Also see retail vs customer service.
How to start
This week: pick three stores you can reach on your real schedule. Apply on each store's own careers site. Ask this before you accept:
"How many hours did people in this job average over the last three months? How far ahead is the schedule posted? Who do I talk to if my hours get cut? What is the most I would lift?"
What postings and BLS actually mention:
- Availability. The Target Dallas posting asks for a flexible schedule, including nights, weekends and holidays, plus regular attendance (read October 31, 2026). Be honest about what you can work. A mismatch shows up in your first schedule.
- Lifting and ladders. Up to 40 pounds in that posting. It does not mention a drug test or a background check, but other stores may screen. Read background checks explained.
- No experience. Cashiers and salespersons typically need no formal credential (BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035). See retail jobs with no experience, resume tips and retail interview questions.
- Age. Stores hire teens, with limits by state and age. See jobs that hire at 16.
- Licenses. Few store jobs need one. Some states license selected sales jobs, such as car sales (BLS OOH).
Holiday work is hiring now, and most of it ends in January: seasonal jobs.
Where it can lead
There is a real ladder into supervision, though the pay step can be small.
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| Next step | National median | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| First-line retail supervisor | $23.33 (range $15.92 to $37.06) | BLS OEWS, May 2025. "Retail sales workers may advance to supervisory or managerial positions" (BLS OOH) |
| Better department, sometimes with commission | Varies | With seniority, workers may get a choice of departments, often with higher earnings and commissions (BLS OOH) |
| Store manager | Varies | Some employers prefer a bachelor's degree (BLS OOH) |
Some supervisors earn little more than the people they lead. The 10th percentile for retail supervisors is $15.92, just 11 cents above the median cashier. Ask what a lead job pays before you chase it.
Walmart says its U.S. workers get a first promotion in nine months on average, that about 75% of salaried store, club and supply chain managers started hourly, and that team lead jobs pay $19 to $37 an hour (read October 31, 2026). That is the company's own account. More: growing into retail management.
Cashier jobs are shrinking. BLS projects a 6.5% drop by 2035, citing self-checkout and online sales. There are still 521,300 openings a year, because people leave (BLS, 2025 to 2035). Retail salespersons hold about flat at minus 0.3%, with 520,600 openings.
Current openings
See retail jobs, part-time retail jobs and notes on retail employers. By city: Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Orlando.
Source-linked openings
Current source-linked listings could not be confirmed in this sample. Check the category search and each original posting for availability.
How to verify a listing
Every opening on JobPin links to its source posting. Open it and check whether the job is seasonal, whether it states hours, and whether the rate is one number or a wide range. A wide range often means you start near the bottom: how to read pay on a job posting. Honest employers never ask you to pay to get a job (FTC, read October 31, 2026). More: how JobPin verifies listings.
How JobPin dates and sources listings: How JobPin verifies listings and events. Report a listing.