# First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers

> Directly supervise and coordinate activities of retail sales workers in an establishment or department. Duties may include management functions, such as purchasing, budgeting, accounting, and personnel work, in addition to supervisory duties.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-retail-sales-workers
- SOC code: 41-1011.00
- Career family: Sales
- Median annual pay: $48,520 (10th percentile $33,120, 90th percentile $77,080)
- Projected growth: Decline, -3.7%
- Openings a year: 113,500
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code ECS)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 29 |
| Investigative (I) | 2 |
| Artistic (A) | 0 |
| Social (S) | 44 |
| Enterprising (E) | 100 |
| Conventional (C) | 77 |

## What you'd do

- Training and Teaching Others (importance 77/100)
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public (importance 77/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 73/100)
- Coaching and Developing Others (importance 72/100)
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others (importance 72/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 71/100)
- Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others (importance 70/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 70/100)
- Getting Information (importance 70/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 68/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Service Orientation, Speaking, Coordination, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Social Perceptiveness, Instructing, Management of Personnel Resources, Negotiation

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, Sales and Marketing, English Language, Education and Training, Personnel and Human Resources, Computers and Electronics, Mathematics, Economics and Accounting, Administrative

## Also called

Art Gallery Director, Auto Leasing Manager, Auto Parts Manager, Auto Rental Supervisor, Automobile Leasing Supervisor, Bakery Manager, Branch Manager, Branch Store Manager, Car Rental Manager, Cashier Manager

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Business Administration, Management and Operations](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5202) (CIP 5202, 2,372 colleges)
- [General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5218) (CIP 5218, 358 colleges)
- [Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0106) (CIP 0106, 283 colleges)
- [Specialized Sales, Merchandising and  Marketing Operations](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5219) (CIP 5219, 189 colleges)
- Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services (CIP 1902, 29 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Carnegie Mellon University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/carnegie-mellon-university-406) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $97,419 | $160,783 | $19,000 |
| [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor-main-campus-2956) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $96,806 | $144,654 | $19,500 |
| [University of California-Berkeley CAL](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-berkeley-cal-2881) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $94,811 | $144,599 | $10,656 |
| [University of Pennsylvania UPENN](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-pennsylvania-upenn-3009) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $108,743 | $136,806 | $19,250 |
| [Emory University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/emory-university-main-campus-916) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $87,830 | $136,731 | $15,000 |
| [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill-main-campus-2990) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $88,182 | $135,874 | $9,250 |
| [Baylor University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/baylor-university-194) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $85,374 | $125,167 | $21,375 |
| [Boston College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/boston-college-285) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $75,464 | $123,144 | $18,625 |

## Related careers

- [First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-non-retail-sales-workers): $87,520 median pay
- [First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-office-and-administrative-support-workers): $69,500 median pay
- [First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-food-preparation-and-serving-workers): $44,080 median pay
- [First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-entertainment-and-recreation-workers-except-gambling-services): $48,560 median pay
- [First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-housekeeping-and-janitorial-workers): $49,100 median pay
- [Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/sales-representatives-of-services-except-advertising-insurance-financial-services-and): $69,990 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.