How To Become A Produce Clerk: What It Is and Career Path

What is a produce clerk and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A produce clerk works in a grocery store to handle and merchandise fresh produce. They ensure the stocking, cleaning, and visuals of the produce section of the store. They also assist customers with questions about produce selection and preparation. Other duties may include weighing and pricing products, rotating stock, and monitoring inventory levels. A produce clerk plays a critical role in ensuring that customers have access to high-quality fresh produce.

ScoreProduce ClerkUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $31,822

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.1

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.96%

Asian 6.45%

Black or African American 8.60%

Hispanic or Latino 20.16%

Unknown 5.49%

White 58.34%

Gender

female 23.93%

male 76.07%

Age - 35

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 - 35

Stress level

7.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.1

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a produce clerk?

Pros

Opportunities for advancement within the store
Flexible scheduling options
Sense of accomplishment from maintaining a clean and organized department
Job security in a stable industry
Potential for employee discounts on produce and other groceries

Cons

Repetitive tasks that can become monotonous
Working weekends, holidays, and early mornings or late evenings may be required
Limited opportunities for creativity or innovation in the job
May require standing for long periods of time without breaks
Limited pay and benefits compared to other industries

Key steps to become a produce clerk

Explore produce clerk education requirements

Most common produce clerk degrees

High School Diploma

39.2 %

Bachelor's

30.5 %

Associate

19.1 %

Start to develop specific produce clerk skills

Skills	Percentages
Product Knowledge	11.12%
Math	10.32%
Sales Floor	8.92%
Basic Math	8.02%
Food Handling	6.56%

Complete relevant produce clerk training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New produce clerks 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 produce clerk based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real produce clerk resumes.

Research produce clerk duties and responsibilities

Train in customer service functions, camera and video monitoring, and POS systems checkout.
Work in fast pace environment while providing customer service and creating excellent product detail while maintaining cleanliness of department.
Handle and order inventory, as well as utilized FIFO strategies.
Operate meat and cheese slicers, oven, cutting tools, scales and other deli equipment.

Prepare your produce clerk resume

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

Choose from 10+ customizable produce clerk resume templates

Build a professional produce clerk 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 produce clerk resume.