What Cashiers Do
Cashiers process payments from customers purchasing goods and services.
Work Environment
Most cashiers work in retail establishments, such as grocery stores, gasoline stations, and other general merchandise stores.
How to Become a Cashier
Cashiers are trained on the job. There are no formal education requirements to become a cashier.
Pay
The median hourly wage for cashiers was $11.37 in May 2019.
Job Outlook
Employment of cashiers is projected to decline 7 percent from 2019 to 2029. Advances in technology, such as self-service checkout stands in retail stores and increasing online sales, will reduce the need for cashiers.
Cashiers process payments from customers purchasing goods and services.
Duties
Cashiers typically do the following:
- Greet customers
- Scan or register customers’ purchases
- Accept payments from customers and give change and receipts
- Bag or wrap customers’ purchases
- Process returns and exchanges of merchandise
- Answer customers’ questions and provide information about store policies
- Help customers sign up for store rewards programs or credit cards
- Count the money in their register at the beginning and end of each shift
In some establishments, cashiers have to check the age of their customers when selling age-restricted products, such as alcohol and tobacco. Some cashiers may have duties not directly related to sales and customer service, such as mopping floors, taking out the trash, and other custodial tasks. Others may stock shelves or mark prices on items.
Cashiers use scanners, registers, or calculators to process payments and returns or exchanges of merchandise.
Cashiers held about 3.6 million jobs in 2019. The largest employers of cashiers were as follows:
Food and beverage stores | 26% |
General merchandise stores | 21 |
Gasoline stations | 17 |
Restaurants and other eating places | 10 |
Pharmacies and drug stores | 5 |
The work is often repetitive, and cashiers spend most of their time standing behind counters or checkout stands. Dealing with dissatisfied customers can be stressful.
Work Schedules
Cashiers’ work hours vary by employer. Cashiers often work during weekends and holidays. Some cashiers employed in establishments that operate 24 hours a day, such as gasoline stations, work overnight shifts. Part-time work is common.
Employers may restrict the use of time off from Thanksgiving through early January because that is the busiest time of the year for most retailers.
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of cashiers.
Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Customer Service Representatives |
Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and answer questions. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $34,710 | |
Retail Sales Workers |
Retail sales workers help customers find products they want and process customers’ payments. |
No formal educational credential | $25,440 | |
|
Tellers |
Tellers are responsible for accurately processing routine transactions at a bank. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $31,230 |
Waiters and Waitresses |
Waiters and waitresses take orders and serve food and beverages to customers in dining establishments. |
No formal educational credential | $22,890 | |
Bartenders |
Bartenders mix drinks and serve them directly to customers or through wait staff. |
No formal educational credential | $23,680 | |
Food and Beverage Serving and Related Workers |
Food and beverage serving and related workers perform a variety of customer service, food preparation, and cleaning duties in eating and drinking establishments. |
No formal educational credential | $23,000 |
The Handbook does not have contacts for more information for this occupation.
O*NET
Suggested citation:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Cashiers,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/cashiers.htm (visited ).