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.
Parts Salesperson Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Parts Salespersons earn a median of $38,630 per year ($18.57/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 3.1% through 2034, with about 30,200 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
SOC 41-2022Sales and RelatedLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $38,630
- Projected growth
- +3.1%
- Openings a year
- 30,200
- Typical education
- No formal credential
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Parts Advisor, Parts Consultant, Parts Counter Salesperson, Parts Counterman, Parts Counterperson, Parts Person.
How much do Parts Salespersons make?
10th percentile$28,240
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$33,110
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$38,630
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$49,850
Upper quartile
90th percentile$62,890
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $38,630 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $18.57/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $43,830 |
| People employed | 270,070 |
Versus all US occupations
At $38,630, Parts Salespersons earn 24% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $12,350 a year.
Versus sales and related occupations
Inside the Sales and Related group, where the middle occupation pays $51,495, this is 25% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $62,890 or more while the bottom 10% earn $28,240, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 9% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
North Dakota pays the most at $48,600, and still leads at $54,632 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Parts Salespersons the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | $48,600 | $54,632 | 1,610 |
| Colorado | $47,660 | $46,248 | 4,840 |
| Minnesota | $47,030 | $47,688 | 5,790 |
| Washington | $46,830 | $43,761 | 6,230 |
| Iowa | $46,670 | $53,178 | 3,810 |
| New Hampshire | $46,370 | $44,516 | 1,500 |
| Vermont | $46,260 | $47,224 | 780 |
| Alaska | $46,130 | $45,067 | 710 |
| Arizona | $46,020 | $45,711 | 3,890 |
| New Jersey | $45,510 | $41,827 | 4,810 |
Is Parts Salesperson a growing career?
Parts Salespersons3.1%
All US occupations3.1%
+3.1% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Parts Salespersons to change 3.1% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 8,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 30,200 openings are projected each year, 11.1% of the 272,100 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of retail sales workers is projected to decline 0 percent from 2024 to 2034.
Despite declining employment, about 586,000 openings for retail sales workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
The increase in online sales is expected to continue over the projections decade, limiting growth in the number of physical retail stores and reducing demand for retail sales workers.
How to become a Parts Salesperson
Retail sales workers typically do not need formal education to enter the occupation. However, some employers prefer to hire candidates who have a high school diploma or the equivalent. Most retail sales workers learn 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 | Moderate-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 parts salespersons.
- High School Diploma46.9%
- Some College Courses25.2%
- Bachelor's Degree13.6%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)9.3%
- Post-Secondary Certificate5.0%
What does a Parts Salesperson do?
Sell spare and replacement parts and equipment in repair shop or parts store.
Retail sales workers sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel, to customers. They also sell spare and replacement parts and equipment.
Day-to-day tasks
- Examine returned parts for defects, and exchange defective parts or refund money.
- Maintain and clean work and inventory areas.
- Receive payment or obtain credit authorization.
- Assist customers, such as responding to customer complaints and updating them about back-ordered parts.
- Advise customers on substitution or modification of parts when identical replacements are not available.
- Read catalogs, microfiche viewers, or computer displays to determine replacement part stock numbers and prices.
- Fill customer orders from stock, and place orders when requested items are out of stock.
- Discuss use and features of various parts, based on knowledge of machines or equipment.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where parts salespersons work
| Automotive parts, accessories, and tire retailers | 44% |
|---|---|
| Automobile dealers | 22% |
| Wholesale trade | 19% |
| Repair and maintenance | 4% |
| Other motor vehicle dealers | 4% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Speaking4.0/5
- Reading Comprehension3.6/5
- Critical Thinking3.3/5
- Monitoring3.1/5
- Writing3.0/5
- Active Learning2.9/5
- Mathematics2.8/5
Transferable skills
- Persuasion3.8/5
- Service Orientation3.6/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.4/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Coordination2.9/5
- Negotiation2.9/5
- Instructing2.9/5
Tools and software
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Internet browser software
- Inventory management 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 Parts Salesperson?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary5.6
Investigative1.6
Artistic1.0
Social2.0
Enterprisingprimary3.8
Conventionalprimary5.1
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
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.
Parts Salesperson: frequently asked questions
How much do Parts Salespersons make?
Parts Salespersons earn a median of $38,630 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 24% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $18.57/hr. The middle half earn between $33,110 and $49,850. The top 10% earn $62,890 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Parts Salesperson?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Parts Salespersons, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 46.9% hold high school diploma.
Is Parts Salesperson a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.1% over 2024–2034, about the same as the 3.1% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 30,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Parts Salesperson do?
Retail sales workers sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel, to customers. A core O*NET task: examine returned parts for defects, and exchange defective parts or refund money. Employers most often ask for Document management software, Electronic mail software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software.
Which states pay Parts Salespersons the most?
The highest state medians for Parts Salespersons are North Dakota ($48,600), Colorado ($47,660), Minnesota ($47,030) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Parts Salesperson?
O*NET scores Parts Salespersons highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.