How to hire a sales clerk

How to hire a sales clerk, step by step

Here's a step-by-step sales clerk hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a sales clerk job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new sales clerk
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a sales clerk do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your sales clerk job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a sales clerk for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A sales clerk's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, sales clerks from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of sales clerks.

   Type of Sales Clerk	Description	Hourly rate
   Sales Clerk	Retail sales workers include both those who sell retail merchandise, such as clothing, furniture, and automobiles, (called retail salespersons) and those who sell spare and replacement parts and equipment, especially car parts (called parts salespersons). Both types of workers help customers find the products they want and process customers’ payments.	$7-18
   Seasonal Sales Representative	Usually working on a contractual basis, a seasonal sales representative serves as the clients' point of contact in businesses. They typically offer products and services through calls and correspondence, arrange appointments, discuss promotions, explain product specifications and pricing, negotiate contracts, arrange payment plans, and build positive relationships with clients... Show more	$12-21
   Adviser Sales	Adviser sales are responsible for reaching out to clients through calls and correspondence to promote and sell products or services. With a sales target to reach, they must secure sales by prioritizing customer satisfaction... Show more	$14-45

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Stock Shelves
   • Sales Floor
   • Retail Sales
   • Product Knowledge
   • POS
   • Sales Transactions
   • Store Policies
   • Store Displays
   • Professional Selling
   • Customer Orders
   • Exceptional Guest
   • Engraving
   • Retail Store

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Supervise women's department, manage jewelry department, assist customers on finalizing purchases
   • Process monetary transactions POS system.
   • Follow POS procedures daily and complete appropriate paperwork.
   • Prepare quality food products, process accurate register transactions, maintain general appearance and cleanliness of store premises.
   • Improve customer solicitation pitch to increase Kohl's credit card application solicitations.

   More sales clerk duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your sales clerk job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A sales clerk salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a sales clerk in Missouri may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level sales clerk usually earns less than a senior-level sales clerk. Additionally, a sales clerk with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average sales clerk salary

   $12.37hourly

   $25,739 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level sales clerk salary

   $16,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average sales clerk salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$32,538	$16
   2	New York	$30,954	$15
   3	California	$30,352	$15
   4	Oregon	$28,353	$14
   5	Colorado	$27,676	$13
   6	Hawaii	$26,535	$13
   7	Minnesota	$25,640	$12
   8	South Carolina	$25,625	$12
   9	Florida	$24,558	$12
   10	Louisiana	$24,276	$12
   11	Kansas	$24,226	$12
   12	Utah	$22,401	$11
   13	Virginia	$22,369	$11
   14	Ohio	$22,325	$11
   15	Texas	$22,311	$11
   16	Tennessee	$22,162	$11
   17	Nevada	$21,790	$10
   18	Missouri	$21,606	$10
   19	Mississippi	$20,106	$10
   20	West Virginia	$18,049	$9

   Average sales clerk salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Hawaii Pacific Health	$39,548	$19.01
   2	American Services	$34,441	$16.56
   3	20-20 Technologies	$32,087	$15.43	173
   4	University of Nebraska System	$31,709	$15.24
   5	Nordstrom	$31,194	$15.00	286
   6	San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance	$30,769	$14.79
   7	St Luke's Hospital & Health Network Inc	$29,967	$14.41
   8	St. Luke's Health System	$29,709	$14.28
   9	Albertsons	$29,515	$14.19	487
   10	Nike	$29,412	$14.14	357
   11	Randstad North America, Inc.	$29,362	$14.12	22
   12	Kelly Services	$29,236	$14.06	40
   13	UNC Health Care	$29,214	$14.05	4
   14	Robert Half	$28,862	$13.88	565
   15	Mattel	$28,832	$13.86	11
   16	Staffworks Group	$28,775	$13.83	2
   17	Advance Auto Parts	$28,726	$13.81	1,142
   18	Bashas'	$28,416	$13.66	39
   19	National Radio Astronomy Observatory	$28,377	$13.64
   20	Kimbrell's Furniture	$28,173	$13.54	75

4. Writing a sales clerk job description

   A sales clerk job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a sales clerk job description:

   Sales clerk job description example

   The starting wage for this position is $17.00/hr

   Not only do you get to be part of an organization where you Drive your Potential , Power your Passion !! Below are a few perks and discounts:

   • 401K with company match
   • Company Profit Sharing
   • Full medical + HSA (optional)
   • Career Growth with hands-on learning
   • 40% off any standard Hertz Rental (friends/family)
   • Tuition Reimbursement

   Essential Requirements:

   Job Description :

   Strong organization and ability to prioritize for overnighting completed car sales deals, processing timecards, maintain daily log of all incoming inventory, and record keeping for insurance and bids. Experience with Excel and other computer programs. Receiving cars and controlling all accounting related to getting cars front line ready for sale. Support ordering office supplies when items are needed. Record keeping for insurance and bids on vendors used for reconditioning and facility management. Includes Dealer Plate Inventory, New Hire Paperwork, and Summary Report. Assist Finance & Insurance Manager with deal packaging as needed and Location Manager with day to day operations. Support any DMV issues that might come up (Varies by State). May perform related clerical work and complete special clerical projects as required.

   Qualifications:

   Must be 20 years of age or older. A valid driver’s license is required. High School diploma or equivalent. Strong computer skills are a must. Multi-tasking is required. Excellent written and spoken communication.

   Apply today and shift your career into drive for tomorrow!

   :

   At Hertz, we champion and celebrate a culture of diversity and inclusion. We take affirmative steps to promote employment and advancement opportunities. The endless variety of perspectives, experiences, skills and talents that our employees invest in their work every day represent a significant part of our culture – and our success and reputation as a company.

   Individuals are encouraged to apply for positions because of the characteristics that make them unique.

   EOE, including disability/veteran

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right sales clerk for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with sales clerks they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit sales clerks who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   To find sales clerk candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit sales clerks, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new sales clerk

   Once you've selected the best sales clerk candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new sales clerk. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a sales clerk?