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What is a counter sales representative and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Kevin Buckley

Counter sales representatives are the first employees that customers meet on entering a particular store or organization, and they handle various sales processes. Counter sales usually take place at fast food outlets and retail stores.

Their responsibilities nclude greeting customers and taking orders, processing payments, assisting customers with queries and providing solutions. In addition, they follow up on orders to prevent delays, clean customer areas, and possess excellent product knowledge to inform and increase sales. To qualify for the position, a high school diploma or a GED will suffice. What is essential is the skills such as communication, customer service, interpersonal, conflict management, and great personality. Prior experience is desirable; however, employers do most of the time provide on-the-job training.

The average hourly pay for this position is $13.59, which amounts to $28,257 annually.

What general advice would you give to a counter sales representative?

Kevin BuckleyKevin Buckley LinkedIn profile

Professor of Practice, Sales & Marketing, University of Southern Mississippi

The biggest factor in earning potential is performance - salespeople get paid based on their ability to hit and exceed quotas through revenue generation. With a sales career, you have a lot of control over earnings. My advice is to be metrics-driven and have a plan to intentionally grow your sales skills through training, mentors, and personal development. Build a reputation for consistent over-achievement. It's also important to do research and understand typical compensation benchmarks. Some may offer higher base pay, while others offer more earnings leverage through aggressive commission/bonus structures.
ScoreCounter Sales RepresentativeUS Average
Salary
2.6

Avg. Salary $33,527

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.7

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
9.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.49%

Asian 6.75%

Black or African American 10.32%

Hispanic or Latino 19.86%

Unknown 6.67%

White 55.91%

Gender

female 38.38%

male 61.62%

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

Counter sales representative career paths

Key steps to become a counter sales representative

  1. Explore counter sales representative education requirements

    Most common counter sales representative degrees

    Bachelor's

    37.1 %

    High School Diploma

    29.2 %

    Associate

    21.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific counter sales representative skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Taking Care18.19%
    Continuous Improvement9.05%
    Good Communication9.01%
    Class Customer Service8.60%
    Customer Satisfaction8.05%
  3. Complete relevant counter sales representative training and internships

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

    • Manage accounts and create invoices via QuickBooks.
    • Receive incoming calls, make outbound calls, and help walk-ins to assist customers with HVAC and plumbing products.
    • Wait on in store customers, using POS.
    • Help service technicians with questions and troubleshooting of HVAC products and equipment.
  5. Prepare your counter sales representative resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your counter sales representative 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 sales representative 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 sales representative resume templates

    Build a professional counter sales representative 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 sales representative resume.
    Counter Sales Representative Resume
    Counter Sales Representative Resume
    Counter Sales Representative Resume
    Counter Sales Representative Resume
    Counter Sales Representative Resume
    Counter Sales Representative Resume
    Counter Sales Representative Resume
    Counter Sales Representative Resume
    Counter Sales Representative Resume
  6. Apply for counter sales representative jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a counter sales representative 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 counter sales representative job

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Average counter sales representative salary

The average counter sales representative salary in the United States is $33,527 per year or $16 per hour. Counter sales representative salaries range between $26,000 and $43,000 per year.

Average counter sales representative salary
$33,527 Yearly
$16.12 hourly

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How do counter sales representatives rate their job?

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Counter sales representative reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

Communicating and helping my clients.


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Cons

People without vision, dreams and selfishness.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Pros

Marketing products from a traceable companies to consumers and providing a good service to the clients .


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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.