Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
No formal educational credential
None
Short-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Cashiers play a major role in front-line customer transactions, with national employment of 3,157,000 workers. The occupation offers a national median annual salary of $31,190 and generates an estimated 543,000 openings each year. While projected employment growth is -9.9%, the large number of openings indicates frequent hiring needs across the labor market. Entry into this career does not require a formal educational credential, which can make it accessible to students, first-time job seekers, and those re-entering the workforce. Key skills associated with this path include customer service, speaking and listening, interpersonal strengths, and basic mathematics, along with physical strength and stamina and fine motor skills. For individuals exploring related customer-facing roles, similar occupations include parking attendants, various types of attendants, ushers, lobby attendants, ticket takers, and fast food and counter workers. Overall, this is a widely available role that emphasizes people skills and practical, on-the-job learning more than formal education.
The national median annual salary for cashiers is $31,190, with some locations offering higher typical pay. Among the top states by opportunity score, Washington reports a median salary of $38,720, California $37,100, Colorado $36,870, Massachusetts $35,520, and New York $35,500. At the metro level, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA stands out with a median salary of $42,960, and San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA follows at $41,270. The New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ metro shows a median of $35,950, while Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH is at $36,040 and Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV at $35,470. These figures show that earnings for cashiers vary by state and metro, with certain California metros and Washington state offering the highest listed typical wages. Individuals focused on maximizing income potential within this occupation may want to pay close attention to these geographic differences.
Cashiers currently account for 3,157,000 jobs nationwide, reflecting a broad presence in the labor market. The occupation has a projected employment growth rate of -9.9%, indicating an overall decline in total positions over the projection period. At the same time, there are an estimated 543,000 annual openings. This combination suggests that even as total employment is projected to decrease, many positions are expected to become available each year. The same -9.9% projected growth rate appears across the top states and metro areas by opportunity score, including California, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, Washington, and leading metros such as San Jose, New York–Newark–Jersey City, and San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont. For job seekers, this means that opportunities are likely to continue arising through turnover and other employment changes, even in the context of a shrinking overall job count. Candidates may want to be prepared for ongoing competition as they pursue openings.
Location plays a significant role in the cashier job market, with notable differences in pay and concentration of jobs. Among states, California leads in both employment and compensation within the top group, with 336,110 positions and a median salary of $37,100. New York also has substantial employment at 158,890 jobs and a median salary of $35,500. Washington shows the highest state-level median salary listed, at $38,720, while Massachusetts and Colorado offer median salaries of $35,520 and $36,870, respectively. All of these states share the same projected growth rate of -9.9%. At the metro level, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA has the highest opportunity score (77.42) and the highest median salary at $42,960, with 16,530 jobs. The New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ metro has both a very high opportunity score (77.27) and the largest employment among the listed metros at 173,830. San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA, Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV, and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH also combine significant employment with mid- to upper-range median salaries.
The typical education requirement for cashiers is no formal educational credential, making this career accessible to individuals who may not have completed traditional postsecondary programs. Success in the role is more closely tied to skill development than to formal schooling. Key skills include customer service, speaking and listening, and interpersonal abilities, which support effective interaction with customers and coworkers. Mathematics skills are important for handling numerical information, while fine motor skills and physical strength and stamina support the physical aspects of the job. Additional skills such as basic writing and reading, comfort with computers and information technology, mechanical awareness, and even some grounding in science can also be relevant. Because there is no formal credential barrier, new workers often rely on building these competencies through experience. For those exploring alternatives with similar accessibility, related occupations include parking attendants, various types of attendants, ushers and lobby attendants, and fast food and counter workers.
Use CareerGPS Pro to compare markets, understand the tradeoffs, and focus on the places with the strongest potential.
