Recognizing sales workers on Salesperson Day

Whether it’s finding gifts for the kids, recommending wine and cheese for a party, or arranging a dream vacation, sales workers go the extra mile at this time of year to help make our holidays special. Salesperson Day, the second Friday in December, gives us an opportunity to recognize them in return.

Sales and related workers had employment of nearly 13.4 million in May 2024, representing about 8.7 percent of U.S. employment. Retail salespersons (3.8 million) and cashiers (3.1 million) were the two largest sales occupations, as well as two of the largest occupations overall. Three other sales-related occupations each had employment of over 1 million: wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives, except technical and scientific products; sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel; and first-line supervisors of retail sales workers.

Sales and related occupations had an annual mean wage of $54,070, below the average of $67,920 for all occupations. Sales engineers ($130,410) and wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives of technical and scientific products ($114,520) were the highest paying sales occupations. Two of the occupations with the most employment were among the lowest paying sales occupations: retail salespersons ($37,150) and cashiers ($31,810). Telemarketers ($36,340), with employment of about 66,000, was also among the occupations with below-average wages.

Customer service, adaptability, and interpersonal skills are important qualities for sales workers to have. Although most sales occupations typically require either a high school diploma or no formal educational credential for entry, a few, such as sales engineers, typically require a bachelor’s degree.

Employment and wage data are from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program. For more information on these and other occupations, see the OEWS occupational profile application. Also see the Occupational Outlook Handbook for information on typical entry-level educational requirements, important skills, job outlook, and more.