What is a retail cashier and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Expert
Timothy Kneeland
introduction image

A retail cashier works in a retail store, responsible for handling money transactions from customers. They operate cash registers, scan products, and provide customer service. Cashiers must be able to handle large amounts of cash and accurately count change. Additionally, they may need to handle returns or exchanges and assist customers with locating products or answering questions. Retail cashiers must also maintain a clean and organized workspace throughout their shifts.

What general advice would you give to a Retail Cashier?

T

Timothy Kneeland

Professor and Chair History, Politics, and Law, Nazareth College of Rochester

Your resume should be as thorough as possible so that you can advocate for the highest salary in your range. Be sure to weed out things on your resume that do not fit the job you are seeking. Once you are hired, make yourself indispensable, and prepare for your biannual or annual review by preparing a list of accomplishments. Sometimes your supervisors are distracted and do not know about all your efforts. You need to remind them in a friendly and professional manner.
ScoreRetail CashierUS Average
Salary
2.3

Avg. Salary $29,009

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
5.3

Growth Rate -10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.02%

Asian 7.73%

Black or African American 9.39%

Hispanic or Latino 21.76%

Unknown 5.40%

White 54.70%

Gender

female 76.27%

male 23.73%

Age - 28
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 - 28
Stress Level
5.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
3.7

Complexity Level is basic

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
10.0

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Retail Cashier?

Pros

  • Chance to develop customer service abilities

  • Possibility for advancement within the company

  • Access to employee discounts and promotions

  • Ability to learn about products and gain product knowledge

  • Opportunities for bonuses or commissions based on sales

Cons

  • Repetitive tasks leading to monotony and boredom

  • High-stress levels during busy periods and holiday seasons

  • Dealing with difficult customers and complaints can be emotionally draining

  • Standing for long periods can lead to physical strain and discomfort

  • Risk of theft or fraud, leading to increased security measures and potential liability for cashiers

Retail Cashier career paths

Key steps to become a retail cashier

  1. Explore retail cashier education requirements

    Most common retail cashier degrees

    High School Diploma

    43.4 %

    Bachelor's

    25.0 %

    Associate

    17.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific retail cashier skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Customer Service21.06%
    Cleanliness18.72%
    Front End11.24%
    Math8.17%
    Basic Math6.06%
  3. Complete relevant retail cashier training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New retail cashiers 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 retail cashier based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real retail cashier resumes.
  4. Research retail cashier duties and responsibilities

    • Manage jewelry stock and inventory balances accurately.
    • Display knowledge concerning cash, checks, EBT, WIC, debit and credit card transactions.
    • Assist customers in getting groceries to cars and everyday transactions, such as cashiering and maintenance.
    • Follow procedures handling cash, checks, coupons, gift certificates, food stamps and WIC vouchers.
  5. Prepare your retail cashier resume

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

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Retail Cashier Resume templates

    Build a professional Retail Cashier 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 Retail Cashier resume.
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  6. Apply for retail cashier jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a retail cashier job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Retail Cashier Job

Zippi

Are you a Retail Cashier?

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Average retail cashier salary

The average Retail Cashier salary in the United States is $29,009 per year or $14 per hour. Retail cashier salaries range between $23,000 and $35,000 per year.

Average Retail Cashier Salary
$29,009 Yearly
$13.95 hourly

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How do retail cashiers rate their job?

-/5

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Retail Cashier reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022
Pros

A cashier I get to count, hold conversations, clean my area,stock my area

Cons

Only thing I dislike doing is being the bad guy when someone is shoplifting


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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2021
Cons

Pretty new field

Pros

Learn usefully ways to improve health with food viewed as medicine.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2021
Pros

I like mostly that I work with team oriented people. Some people that care and will help and that help others whether it's work related or not. That have good employee morale amongst each other not necessarily management but amongst each other.

Cons

Double standards extra work extra tasks that aren't in the job description you're doing assumptions that you know everything you're doing and you know the right way of everything that you're doing even though no one's ever trained you to do what you're doing and what you're doing isn't necessarily in the jobs description for the title for lack of a better word that you actually have


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.