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Career

Parts Salespersons

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipHigh pressure

What they do

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

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $38,630 Median per year · $18.57/hr Most earn $28,240–$62,890

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Fill customer orders from stock, and place orders when requested items are out of stock.
  • Determine replacement parts required, according to inspections of old parts, customer requests, or customers' descriptions of malfunctions.
  • Advise customers on substitution or modification of parts when identical replacements are not available.
  • Demonstrate equipment to customers, and explain functioning of equipment.
  • Read catalogs, microfiche viewers, or computer displays to determine replacement part stock numbers and prices.
  • Prepare sales slips or sales contracts.

Job outlook

United States
3% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 30,000 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Automotive parts, accessories, and tire retailers46.1%
  • Automobile dealers22.1%
  • Motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies merchant wholesalers7.3%
  • Other motor vehicle dealers3.8%
  • Farm and garden machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers3.7%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Parts Salesperson is usually not a straight-out-of-school job. Most people first work 1 to 2 years in a related counter or sales role, often at a parts store, repair shop, or rental counter, and learn the products and customers before moving into parts sales.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    A diploma gives you the basic reading, math, and customer-service skills that counter and sales jobs expect.

  2. Counter and Rental Clerk

    1 to 2 years

    You help customers at a counter, look up items, handle orders and payments, and learn how parts and equipment are organized, which builds the experience employers look for.

  3. Parts Salesperson

    Ongoing

    You sell spare and replacement parts and equipment in a repair shop or parts store, using the product knowledge and customer skills you built in earlier jobs. Many people also earn a certificate or apprenticeship in the trade to strengthen their skills.

Where it can lead

  1. Parts Department Manager

    3 to 5 years of experience first

    You oversee the parts counter, manage inventory and staff, set sales goals, and handle vendor orders, which takes proven sales results and strong organization skills.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and business or computer classesMath helps with pricing and inventory, and basic computer skills are used in nearly every parts counter.
  • Get a part-time job in retail or customer serviceAny job where you help customers builds the people skills and work habits that parts employers look for.
  • Join a career or technical student organizationGroups like FFA or SkillsUSA, where your school has them, let you practice presenting and working with tools and equipment.
  • Learn basic vehicle or equipment termsReading owner's manuals or helping a family member with car or lawn equipment repairs builds the product vocabulary you will use daily.
  • Volunteer at a hardware store, repair shop, or community workshopHelping customers find items and learning how a repair business runs gives you early exposure to the work.

In college

  • Take courses in automotive, equipment, or industrial technologyCoursework on how parts and equipment work helps you explain products accurately to customers.
  • Get a part-time counter or sales job at a parts store or repair shopWorking at the counter now gives you the 1 to 2 years of related experience employers typically want.
  • Look into a certificate or apprenticeship programMany schools and local trade programs offer short certificates in parts or automotive service, which matches this career's typical training.
  • Build sales and customer-service skillsJoin a campus club, a debate team, or a student sales role to practice persuasion and problem-solving.
  • Learn basic inventory and point-of-sale softwareMost parts stores track orders and stock electronically, so comfort with these tools makes you a stronger hire.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for a job at a parts store, auto shop, or equipment repair business, even as a cashier or counter helper, so you can learn parts while you earn experience.
  • Ask whether a local trade school, community college, or employer offers a parts or automotive certificate, since this career typically lists a certificate or apprenticeship as its training.
  • Practice explaining products simply and listening to what customers actually need; this skill matters as much as product knowledge in sales.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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