How To Become A Counter: What It Is and Career Path

What is a counter and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a counter. For example, did you know that they make an average of $15.81 an hour? That's $32,875 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -10% and produce -335,700 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreCounterUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $32,875

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.7

Growth Rate -10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.72%

Asian 5.92%

Black or African American 9.23%

Hispanic or Latino 21.01%

Unknown 6.95%

White 56.16%

Gender

female 61.57%

male 38.43%

Age - 42

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 - 42

Stress Level

7.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

4.4

Complexity Level is basic

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

10.0

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a counter

Explore counter education requirements

Most common counter degrees

High School Diploma

36.6 %

Bachelor's

31.1 %

Associate

17.6 %

Start to develop specific counter skills

Skills	Percentages
Basic Math	18.28%
POS	17.25%
Math	12.72%
Pleasant Dining	8.32%
Cash Handling	8.20%

Complete relevant counter training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New counters 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 counter based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real counter resumes.

Research counter duties and responsibilities

Replace or attach bar code labels on every ammunition containers for identification and location.
Replace or attach bar code labels on every ammunition containers for identification and location.

Prepare your counter resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your counter 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 counter resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Counter Resume templates

Build a professional Counter 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 Counter resume.

Apply for counter jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a counter 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 counters rate their job?