State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Cashier Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Cashiers is $32,880 a year ($15.81/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to fall 9.9% through 2034, with about 542,600 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
SOC 41-2011Sales and RelatedLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $32,880
- Projected growth
- -9.9%
- Openings a year
- 542,600
- Typical education
- No formal credential
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Cage Cashier, Cashier, Center Aisle Cashier, Central Aisle Cashier, Checker, Customer Assistant.
How much do Cashiers make?
10th percentile$24,530
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$28,720
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$32,880
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$36,330
Upper quartile
90th percentile$40,410
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $32,880 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $15.81/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $33,180 |
| People employed | 3,089,410 |
Versus all US occupations
At $32,880, Cashiers earn 36% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $18,100 a year.
Versus sales and related occupations
Inside the Sales and Related group, where the middle occupation pays $51,495, this is 36% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $40,410 or more while the bottom 10% earn $24,530, a gap of 1.6×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 1% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($38,880), but once local prices are taken into account Vermont leads at $36,465 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Cashiers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $38,880 | $35,377 | 6,060 |
| Washington | $38,720 | $36,183 | 61,050 |
| California | $37,100 | $33,508 | 336,110 |
| Colorado | $36,870 | $35,778 | 51,670 |
| Hawaii | $36,780 | $33,451 | 10,780 |
| Alaska | $36,130 | $35,297 | 5,810 |
| Vermont | $35,720 | $36,465 | 7,030 |
| Connecticut | $35,550 | $34,311 | 30,920 |
| Massachusetts | $35,520 | $33,586 | 58,880 |
| New York | $35,500 | $32,894 | 158,890 |
Is Cashier a growing career?
Cashiers-9.9%
All US occupations3.1%
-9.9% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Cashiers to change -9.9% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 313,600 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 542,600 openings are projected each year, 17.2% of the 3,157,200 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Although retail sales are expected to increase over the projections decade, employment of cashiers is expected to decline because of advances in technology, such as the use of self-service checkout stands in retail stores and increasing online sales.
How to become a Cashier
Cashiers typically have no formal education requirement to enter the occupation. They are trained on the job.
| Typical entry-level education | No formal educational credential |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as cashiers.
- High School Diploma44.3%
- Less than a High School Diploma37.3%
- Post-Secondary Certificate9.2%
- Some College Courses9.2%
What does a Cashier do?
Receive and disburse money in establishments other than financial institutions. May use electronic scanners, cash registers, or related equipment. May process credit or debit card transactions and validate checks.
Cashiers process payments and disburse money in retail settings using cash registers, point-of-sale systems, or related equipment.
Day-to-day tasks
- Receive payment by cash, check, credit cards, vouchers, or automatic debits.
- Answer customers' questions, and provide information on procedures or policies.
- Issue receipts, refunds, credits, or change due to customers.
- Assist customers by providing information and resolving their complaints.
- Answer incoming phone calls.
- Greet customers entering establishments.
- Maintain clean and orderly checkout areas, and complete other general cleaning duties, such as mopping floors and emptying trash cans.
- Help customers find the location of products.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where cashiers work
| Food and beverage retailers | 29% |
|---|---|
| Gasoline stations | 19% |
| Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers | 5% |
| Pharmacies and drug retailers | 4% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening3.0/5
- Speaking3.0/5
- Reading Comprehension2.8/5
- Critical Thinking2.8/5
- Mathematics2.6/5
- Monitoring2.6/5
- Writing2.1/5
- Active Learning2.0/5
Transferable skills
- Service Orientation3.1/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.0/5
- Coordination2.8/5
- Time Management2.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.5/5
- Persuasion2.4/5
- Negotiation2.4/5
- Instructing2.4/5
Tools and software
- Internet browser software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Accounting software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Medical software
- Point of sale POS software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Cashier?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic2.9
Investigative1.0
Artistic1.0
Social2.6
Enterprisingprimary3.6
Conventionalprimary6.2
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Cashier: frequently asked questions
How much do Cashiers make?
Cashiers earn a median of $32,880 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 36% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $15.81/hr. The middle half earn between $28,720 and $36,330. The top 10% earn $40,410 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Cashier?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Cashiers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 44.3% hold high school diploma.
Is Cashier a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 9.9% over 2024–2034, a loss of 313,600 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 542,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Cashier do?
Cashiers process payments and disburse money in retail settings using cash registers, point-of-sale systems, or related equipment. A core O*NET task: receive payment by cash, check, credit cards, vouchers, or automatic debits. Employers most often ask for Internet browser software, Office suite software, Operating system software.
Which states pay Cashiers the most?
The highest state medians for Cashiers are District of Columbia ($38,880), Washington ($38,720), California ($37,100) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Vermont moves to the top at $36,465.
What personality type suits a Cashier?
O*NET scores Cashiers highest on the Conventional and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ESFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.