Sales
First-line supervisor of retail sales workers
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of retail sales workers in an establishment or department. Duties may include management functions, such as purchasing, budgeting, accounting, and personnel work, in addition to supervisory duties.
Median pay
$48,520
Growth to 2035
−4%
declining
Openings a year
113,500
Time to qualify*
2 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
First-line supervisor of retail sales workers
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- Less than 5 years
Calculate your switch to first-line supervisor of retail sales workers
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
First-line supervisor of retail sales workers: 38% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Provide customer service by greeting and assisting customers and responding to customer inquiries and complaints.
- Direct and supervise employees engaged in sales, inventory-taking, reconciling cash receipts, or in performing services for customers.
- Examine merchandise to ensure that it is correctly priced and displayed and that it functions as advertised.
- Monitor sales activities to ensure that customers receive satisfactory service and quality goods.
- Instruct staff on how to handle difficult and complicated sales.
- Assign employees to specific duties.
- Keep records of purchases, sales, and requisitions.
- Perform work activities of subordinates, such as cleaning and organizing shelves and displays and selling merchandise.
Also called: Bakery Manager · Delicatessen Manager · Department Manager · Department Supervisor · Grocery Manager · Key Carrier · Meat Department Manager · Parts Sales Manager
Outlook and AI
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers held 1,419,800 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 1,367,400 by 2035 (−4%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- First-line supervisor of retail sales workers vs. First-line supervisor of non-retail sales workers
- First-line supervisor of retail sales workers vs. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- First-line supervisor of retail sales workers vs. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
- First-line supervisor of retail sales workers vs. First-line supervisors of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services
- First-line supervisor of retail sales workers vs. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- First-line supervisor of retail sales workers vs. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- First-line supervisor of retail sales workers vs. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- First-line supervisor of retail sales workers vs. First-line supervisor of personal service workers