# Parts Salespersons

> Sell spare and replacement parts and equipment in repair shop or parts store.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/parts-salespersons
- SOC code: 41-2022.00
- Career family: Sales
- Median annual pay: $38,630 (10th percentile $28,240, 90th percentile $62,890)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +3.0%
- Openings a year: 30,000
- Typical entry education: No formal credential
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCE)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 77 |
| Investigative (I) | 10 |
| Artistic (A) | 0 |
| Social (S) | 16 |
| Enterprising (E) | 47 |
| Conventional (C) | 69 |

## What you'd do

- Working with Computers (importance 87/100)
- Getting Information (importance 84/100)
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization (importance 83/100)
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public (importance 82/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 81/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 75/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 74/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 73/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 73/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 71/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Speaking, Persuasion, Reading Comprehension, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management

## Knowledge

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

## Also called

Appliance Parts Counter Clerk, Automotive Parts Clerk (Auto Parts Clerk), Automotive Parts Counter Associate (Auto Parts Counter Associate), Automotive Parts Counter Person (Auto Parts Counter Person), Automotive Parts Counterperson (Auto Parts Counterperson), Automotive Parts Handler (Auto Parts Handler), Automotive Parts Salesperson (Auto Parts Salesperson), Automotive Parts Specialist (Auto Parts Specialist), Commercial Parts Professional, Electronic Parts Salesperson

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

- [General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5218) (CIP 5218, 358 colleges)
- [Specialized Sales, Merchandising and  Marketing Operations](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5219) (CIP 5219, 189 colleges)

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

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Baylor University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/baylor-university-194) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $85,374 | $125,167 | $21,375 |
| [Texas A & M University-College Station](https://www.collegesref.com/college/texas-a-m-university-college-station-2694) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $72,444 | $93,141 | $18,458 |
| [Bowling Green State University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/bowling-green-state-university-main-campus-290) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $63,510 | $86,245 | $22,625 |
| [Weber State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/weber-state-university-3186) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $73,639 | $82,549 | $15,668 |
| [Purdue University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/purdue-university-main-campus-2163) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $66,112 | $82,441 | $19,043 |
| [University of Wisconsin-Madison Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-wisconsin-madison-main-campus-3084) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $58,551 | $82,081 | $14,567 |
| [Saint Joseph's University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/saint-joseph-s-university-2308) | Specialized Sales, Merchandising and  Marketing Operations | $62,952 | $80,764 | $24,335 |
| [Kennesaw State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/kennesaw-state-university-1376) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $77,431 | $79,147 | not reported |

## Related careers

- [Counter and Rental Clerks](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/counter-and-rental-clerks): $41,300 median pay
- [Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/shipping-receiving-and-inventory-clerks): $45,260 median pay
- [Retail Salespersons](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/retail-salespersons): $35,410 median pay
- [Engine and Other Machine Assemblers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/engine-and-other-machine-assemblers): $53,710 median pay
- [Stockers and Order Fillers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/stockers-and-order-fillers): $37,330 median pay
- [Home Appliance Repairers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/home-appliance-repairers): $50,990 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.