Sales
Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers
Sell goods or services door-to-door or on the street.
Median pay
$41,380
Growth to 2035
−10%
declining
Openings a year
4,800
Time to qualify*
1 month
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers: 4% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Explain products or services and prices and demonstrate use of products.
- Develop prospect lists.
- Deliver merchandise and collect payment.
- Write and record orders for merchandise or enter orders into computers.
- Arrange buying parties and solicit sponsorship of such parties to sell merchandise.
- Answer questions about product features and benefits.
- Distribute product samples or literature that details products or services.
- Circulate among potential customers or travel by foot, truck, automobile, or bicycle to deliver or sell merchandise or services.
Also called: Direct Sales Coach · Door-to-Door Sales Trainer · Independent Beauty Consultant · Independent Distributor · Independent Sales Associate · Independent Sales Representative · Sales Representative (Sales Rep) · Street Vendor
Outlook and AI
Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers held 50,900 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 45,600 by 2035 (−10%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers vs. Retail salesperson
- Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers vs. Counter and rental clerks
- Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers vs. Demonstrators and product promoters
- Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers vs. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers vs. Cashier
- Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers vs. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers vs. Telemarketer
- Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers vs. Driver/sales worker
- Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers vs. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers vs. Order clerk