Sales
Cashier
Receive and disburse money in establishments other than financial institutions. May use electronic scanners, cash registers, or related equipment. May process credit or debit card transactions and validate checks.
Median pay
$32,880
Growth to 2035
−6%
declining
Openings a year
521,300
Time to qualify*
1 month
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Cashier
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Exposure to disease
Cashier: 11% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Receive payment by cash, check, credit cards, vouchers, or automatic debits.
- Greet customers entering establishments.
- Issue receipts, refunds, credits, or change due to customers.
- Assist customers by providing information and resolving their complaints.
- Monitor checkout stations to ensure they have adequate cash available and are staffed appropriately.
- Establish or identify prices of goods, services, or admission, and tabulate bills, using calculators, cash registers, or optical price scanners.
- Answer incoming phone calls.
- Answer customers' questions, and provide information on procedures or policies.
Also called: Cage Cashier · Cashier · Center Aisle Cashier · Central Aisle Cashier · Checker · Customer Assistant · Sales Associate · Store Attendant
Outlook and AI
Cashiers held 3,106,300 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 2,905,700 by 2035 (−6%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
Demand change, capital/labor substitution - share decreases as online sales increase and self-checkout systems become more common.
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