How to become a first-line supervisors of retail sales worker

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.

Steps to get there

Most employers expect usually requires a high school diploma or ged, though some occupations may not..Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

What first-line supervisors of retail sales workers do

• Provide customer service by greeting and assisting customers and responding to customer inquiries and complaints.
• Examine merchandise to ensure that it is correctly priced and displayed and that it functions as advertised.
• Instruct staff on how to handle difficult and complicated sales.
• Assign employees to specific duties.
• Plan and prepare work schedules and keep records of employees' work schedules and time cards.
• Establish and implement policies, goals, objectives, and procedures for the department.

Skills that matter most

• Active Listening
• Speaking
• Critical Thinking
• Monitoring
• Reading Comprehension
• Writing
• Active Learning
• Learning Strategies

Is first-line supervisors of retail sales worker a good career?

On the numbers, this job is close to the average across occupations. Median pay is 5% below the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.

Where it pays most

• Washington $60,750
• Rhode Island $58,570
• District of Columbia $58,470
• New York $58,300
• Colorado $58,200

First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers salary by state and city

Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.