How long does it take to become a Sales Associate And Cashier?

It takes one year or less to become a sales associate and cashier. That is the time it takes to learn specific sales associate and cashier skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

What is a sales associate and cashier and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Experts

Meegan Feori Ph.D.,

Joseph Hancock

A sales associate and cashier is an individual who works in a retail setting to assist customers with purchases and process transactions. They are responsible for greeting customers, answering questions about products, and providing recommendations. Additionally, they must handle cash and credit card payments and operate a cash register. Strong communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment are important qualities for success in this role.

What general advice would you give to a Sales Associate And Cashier?

Meegan Feori Ph.D.

Associate Professor, San Diego Mesa College

Consider your career in terms of what you are willing to do right now to support yourself and be self-sufficient. During the last recession, I was underemployed, working as a part-time pool lifeguard and making funnel cakes at a local amusement park. Not ideal, but with my funds running low, it was necessary. A third part-time position I had, updating apparel tech packs, did pave my way to a full-time job in the fashion industry. So hustle and be flexible. Also, take time to consider what you can do to create opportunities for yourself. This could include an internship, volunteering, taking a warehouse position at a fashion brand, or completing a class that interests you. The best advice I was ever given was to keep pursuing your goals and accept that what you will be doing in ten years will be better than you ever imagined. The advice came true for me, and I think it will be true for you as well.

ScoreSales Associate And CashierUS Average

Salary

2.0

Avg. Salary $26,139

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

5.3

Growth Rate -10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.95%

Asian 7.35%

Black or African American 10.38%

Hispanic or Latino 21.49%

Unknown 5.24%

White 54.59%

Gender

female 74.71%

male 25.29%

Age - 28

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 28

Stress Level

5.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

3.7

Complexity Level is basic

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

10.0

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Sales Associate And Cashier?

Pros

Gain experience in sales and customer service
Opportunity for commission or bonuses based on performance
Potential for flexible scheduling
Opportunity to develop interpersonal and communication skills
Opportunities for growth within the company

Cons

High-pressure sales quotas may be required
Long hours spent standing or sitting in one place
Dealing with unhappy or difficult customers can be stressful
Repetitive tasks such as scanning items and handling cash can become monotonous
Low pay, especially for entry-level positions

Key steps to become a sales associate and cashier

Explore sales associate and cashier education requirements

Most common sales associate and cashier degrees

High School Diploma

48.4 %

Bachelor's

19.9 %

Associate

16.1 %

Start to develop specific sales associate and cashier skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	40.23%
Basic Math	18.45%
Sales Floor	8.93%
Stock Shelves	5.86%
Sales Associates	5.03%

Complete relevant sales associate and cashier training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New sales associate and cashiers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a sales associate and cashier based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real sales associate and cashier resumes.

Research sales associate and cashier duties and responsibilities

Manage jewelry stock and inventory balances accurately.
Provide customer service, cash handling, cleaning, floor-sets, opening and closing procedures, and operate a POS system.
Scan customers groceries swiftly, handle cash transactions accurately provide friendly customer service daily.
Process all POS transactions including cash, credit cards, and gift cards and balance registers at close of business.

Prepare your sales associate and cashier resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your sales associate and cashier resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a sales associate and cashier resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Sales Associate And Cashier Resume templates

Build a professional Sales Associate And Cashier resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Sales Associate And Cashier resume.

Apply for sales associate and cashier jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a sales associate and cashier job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do sales associate and cashiers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

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1 Star

Sales Associate And Cashier reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022

Pros

A cashier I get to count, hold conversations, clean my area,stock my area

Cons

Only thing I dislike doing is being the bad guy when someone is shoplifting

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2021

Pros

Learn usefully ways to improve health with food viewed as medicine.

Cons

Pretty new field

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2021

Pros

I like mostly that I work with team oriented people. Some people that care and will help and that help others whether it's work related or not. That have good employee morale amongst each other not necessarily management but amongst each other.

What is a sales associate and cashier and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Sales Associate And Cashier?

What are the pros and cons of being a Sales Associate And Cashier?

Sales Associate And Cashier career paths

Key steps to become a sales associate and cashier

Explore sales associate and cashier education requirements

Most common sales associate and cashier degrees

Start to develop specific sales associate and cashier skills

Complete relevant sales associate and cashier training and internships

Research sales associate and cashier duties and responsibilities

Prepare your sales associate and cashier resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Sales Associate And Cashier Resume templates

Apply for sales associate and cashier jobs

How Did You Land Your First Sales Associate And Cashier Job

Average sales associate and cashier salary

How do sales associate and cashiers rate their job?

Sales Associate And Cashier reviews

Sales Associate And Cashier FAQs

How long does it take to become a Sales Associate And Cashier?

Search for sales associate and cashier jobs

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