6421-NOC

Retail salespersons

(NOC 6421)
Annual Earnings
$33,370
Typical Education Background
High School
Job Openings
(2022-2032)
25,860

Career Overview

Retail salespersons sell, rent or lease goods and services directly to consumers.

People in this occupation:

  • Prepare sales, rental or leasing contracts and/or take payment for services or goods using a cash register
  • Can be responsible for maintaining sales records and tidying the store, creating display counters and stocking shelves
  • Work in small, medium and large organizations, including stores and other retail businesses and wholesale businesses
  • Are polite, friendly and patient
  • Should be self starters who can interact well with customers
  • Need to be able to explain and answer questions about the products or services they are selling

Duties

Retail salespersons and sales clerks perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Greet customers and discuss the goods or services offered for purchase, rental or lease
  • Tell customers about the use and care of merchandise, and provide advice concerning specialized products or services
  • Explain merchandise in detail to customers (i.e., distinctions between models, manufacturers' specifications, available financing options, details of associated warranties, etc.)
  • Describe sales promotions or policies regarding payment and exchanges
  • Estimate or quote prices, credit terms, trade-in allowances, warranties and delivery dates
  • Prepare merchandise for purchase, rental or lease
  • Set up sales, rental or leasing contracts
  • Take cash, cheque, credit card or automatic debit payments and operate a cash register
  • Create displays and stock shelves
  • Keep sales records for inventory control
  • Run computerized inventory record keeping and re-ordering systems
  • Bag, wrap and/or package purchases
  • Order or ship goods
  • May do sales transactions through internet-based electronic commerce
  • May specialize and give expert advice on interior decorating, home entertainment systems, computers and other products and services

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$33,370

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$26.75/hr
Median$16.00/hr
Low$15.65/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2022 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

90,800

% Employed Full Time

31%
Source: 2016 Census

Retail salespersons and sales clerks typically work indoors, though some sales (i.e. car sales) involve working outdoors. Hours tend to be irregular but flexible. Employees often work weekends, evenings and holidays.

Workers typically stand for long periods and may need permission to leave the sales floor. They spend most of the day working directly with the public, answering questions and selling goods and/or services.

Staff may have to stay after closing to clean and organize the sales floor for the next day. Some workers may lift and package or bag heavy products.

Career Pathways

With additional training or experience, progression to a store manager or retail supervisor is possible. Depending on the size of the company, progression to a regional/provincial manager is possible. In some retail companies it is also possible to move into team training positions.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Enterprising
Enterprising

Job Titles

Automotives sales consultant
Bookseller
Clerk, sales and rental (retail)
Food preparer / deli cook - grocery store
Sales advisor - retail
Sales assistant
Sales clerk, automotive rental
Sales clerk, consumer goods
Sales clerk, customer service
Sales clerk, department store
Sales clerk, food and beverage
Sales clerk, gift shop
Sales clerk, rental
Sales clerk, storage facility rental
Sales consultant - retirement homes
Sales consultant, bridal / wedding
Salesperson, aluminum products
Salesperson, art / picture framing
Salesperson, automobiles
Salesperson, boats and marine
Salesperson, books / magazines
Salesperson, clothing / shoes
Salesperson, commissioned
Salesperson, construction
Salesperson, cosmetics
Salesperson, education & training
Salesperson, electronics
Salesperson, entertainment
Salesperson, fabric / fur / leather
Salesperson, fitness
Salesperson, florist - arranger
Salesperson, furnishings
Salesperson, garden / lawn supplies
Salesperson, hardware
Salesperson, health aids
Salesperson, house trailers
Salesperson, housewares
Salesperson, hunting guns
Salesperson, jewellery and watches
Salesperson, leisure
Salesperson, lottery sales
Salesperson, memorial
Salesperson, musical instruments
Salesperson, pet store
Salesperson, photographic equipment
Salesperson, recreational equipment
Salesperson, sewing machine
Salesperson, telephone equipment
Salesperson, tool and equipment rental
Salesperson, transport
Salesperson, travelling

Education, Training and Skills

Some positions require little or no prior knowledge (i.e. salesperson in a toy store), while others (i.e. car salesperson) require a lot of training to make sure staff are knowledgeable about the product(s) they are selling. Other training may include:

  • Secondary school graduation
  • On-the-job training, which can range from one-on-one instruction in small stores to official training programs in large chain stores
  • Additional training may be provided for products that are expensive and/or specialized (i.e. car sales, computer sales)

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

  • Adult Special Education
  • Esthetics/Skin Care
EducationPlannerBC Logo
Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

69%
Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

67%
Service Orientation

Actively looking for ways to help people.

65%
Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

63%
Persuasion

Convincing others to change their mind or behaviour.

61%
Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

58%
Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

54%
Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

54%
Negotiation

Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

51%
Monitoring

Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

50%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

90,800
Source: 2016 Census

Employment by Region

Map of BC Map of Cariboo region Map of Kootenay region Map of Mainland/Southwest region Map of North Coast and Nechako region Map of Northeast region Map of Thompson-Okanagan region Map of Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
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Region Employment (2022) % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 2,460 3.1%
Kootenay 2,430 2.9%
Mainland/Southwest 57,280 62.8%
North Coast and Nechako 1,120 1.4%
Northeast 1,180 1.2%
Thompson-Okanagan 9,270 11.7%
Vancouver Island/Coast 13,890 16.9%
Source: 2016 Census and B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2022-2032)

25,860
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2022-2032)

Map of BC Map of Cariboo region Map of Kootenay region Map of Mainland/Southwest region Map of North Coast and Nechako region Map of Northeast region Map of Thompson-Okanagan region Map of Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
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Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo 400 0.2%
Kootenay 560 0.5%
Mainland/Southwest 16,830 1.3%
North Coast and Nechako 260 0.8%
Northeast 170 0.0%
Thompson-Okanagan 3,470 1.6%
Vancouver Island/Coast 4,180 1.3%
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2022-2032)
Retail Trade115,500
Manufacturing49,200
Wholesale Trade33,100
Information, Culture and Recreation57,300
Finance, insurance and real estate50,900
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: 2016 Census and B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Resources

Resource information is currently not available.