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Career Descriptions and Job Outlook
Working as a Retail Cashier
Significant Points
Good employment opportunities are expected due to the large number who leave
this occupation each year.
The occupation offers plentiful opportunities for part-time work.
Nature of the Work
Supermarkets, department stores, gasoline service stations, movie theaters,
restaurants, and many other businesses employ cashiers to register the sale of
their merchandise. Most cashiers total bills, receive money, make change, fill
out charge forms, and give receipts. Bank tellers, who perform similar duties
but work in financial institutions, are discussed elsewhere in the Handbook.
Although specific job duties vary by employer, cashiers are usually assigned
to a register at the beginning of their shifts and given drawers containing
"banks" of money. They must count their banks to ensure that they contain the
correct amount of money and that there are adequate supplies of change. At the
end of their shifts, they once again count the drawers' contents and compare the
totals with sales data. An occasional shortage of small amounts may be
overlooked, but in many establishments, repeated shortages are grounds for
dismissal.
In addition to counting the contents of their drawers at the end of their
shifts, cashiers usually separate charge forms, return slips, coupons, and any
other noncash items.
Cashiers also handle returns and exchanges and must ensure that merchandise
is in good condition and determine where and when it was purchased and what type
of payment was used.
After entering charges for all items and subtracting the value of any coupons
or special discounts, cashiers total the bill and take payment. Acceptable forms
of payment usually include cash, personal check, charge, and increasingly, debit
cards. Cashiers must know the store's policies and procedures for accepting each
type of payment the store accepts. For checks and charges, they may have to
request additional identification from the customer or call in for an
authorization. When the sale is complete, cashiers issue a receipt to the
customer and return the appropriate change. They may also wrap or bag the
purchase.
Cashiers traditionally have totaled customers' purchases using cash
registers—manually entering the price of each product bought. However, most
establishments are now using more sophisticated equipment, such as scanners and
computers. In a store with scanners, a cashier passes a product's Universal
Product Code over the scanning device, which transmits the code number to a
computer. The computer identifies the item and its price. In other
establishments, cashiers manually enter codes into computers, and descriptions
of the items and their prices appear on the screen.
Depending on the type of establishment, cashiers may have other duties as
well. In many supermarkets, for example, cashiers weigh produce and bulk food as
well as return unwanted items to the shelves. In convenience stores, cashiers
may be required to know how to use a variety of machines, other than cash
registers, and how to furnish money orders. Operating ticket-dispensing machines
and answering customers' questions are common duties for cashiers who work at
movie theaters and ticket agencies. Counter and rental clerks, who perform many
similar duties, are discussed elsewhere in the Handbook.
Working Conditions
More than one half of all cashiers are on part-time schedules. Hours of work
often vary depending on the needs of the employer. Generally, cashiers are
expected to work weekends, evenings, and holidays to accommodate customers'
needs. However, because of this, many employers offer flexible schedules. For
example, full-time workers who work on weekends may receive time off during the
week. Because the holiday season is the busiest time for most retailers, many
employers restrict the use of vacation time from Thanksgiving through the
beginning of January.
Most cashiers work indoors, usually standing in booths or behind counters. In
addition, they are often unable to leave their workstations without supervisory
approval because they are responsible for large sums of money. The work of
cashiers can be very repetitious but improvements in workstation design are
being made to combat problems caused by repetitive motion.
Employment
Cashiers held about 3,146,000 jobs in 1996. Although employed in nearly every
industry, nearly one third of all jobs were in supermarkets and other food
stores. Department stores, gasoline service stations, drug stores, and other
retail establishments also employed large numbers of these workers. Because
cashiers are needed in businesses and organizations of all types and sizes, job
opportunities are found throughout the country.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
Cashier jobs tend to be entry-level positions requiring little or no previous
work experience. Although there are no specific educational requirements,
employers filling full-time jobs often prefer applicants with high school
diplomas.
Nearly all cashiers are trained on the job. In small firms, beginners are
often trained by an experienced worker. The first day is usually spent observing
the operation and becoming familiar with the store's equipment, policies, and
procedures. After this, trainees are assigned to a register—frequently under the
supervision of a more experienced worker. In larger firms, before being placed
at cash registers, trainees first spend several days in classes. Topics
typically covered include a description of the industry and the company,
instruction on the store's policies, procedures, and equipment operation, and
security.
Training for experienced workers is not common, except when new equipment is
introduced or when procedures change. In these cases, training is given on the
job, by the employer or a representative of the equipment manufacturer.
Persons who want to become cashiers should be able to do repetitious work
accurately. They also need basic arithmetic skills and good manual dexterity;
and, because they deal constantly with the public, cashiers should be neat in
appearance and able to deal tactfully and pleasantly with customers. In
addition, some firms seek persons who have operated specialized equipment or who
have business experience, such as typing, selling, or handling money.
Advancement opportunities for cashiers vary. For those working part time,
promotion may be to a full-time position. Others advance to head cashier or cash
office clerk. In addition, this job offers a good opportunity to learn an
employer's business and can serve as a steppingstone to a more responsible
position.
Job Outlook
As in the past, employment opportunities for cashiers are expected to
continue to be good, because of the many job openings created each year due to
the need to replace the large number of workers who transfer to other
occupations or leave the labor force. Additional openings will be created by
growth in employment of cashiers.
Cashier employment is expected to increase about as fast as the average for
all occupations through the year 2006 due to expanding demand for goods and
services by a growing population. Traditionally, workers under the age of 25
have filled many of the openings in this occupation—in 1996, about half of all
cashiers were 24 years of age or younger. Recently, some establishments have
begun hiring elderly and disabled persons as well to fill some of their job
openings. Opportunities for part-time work are expected to continue to be
excellent.
Earnings
Cashiers have earnings ranging from the minimum wage, to several times that
amount. Wages tend to be higher in areas where there is intense competition for
workers. In establishments covered by Federal law, those beginning at the
minimum wage earned $5.15 an hour in 1997. In some States, the minimum wage in
many establishments is governed by State law, and where State minimums are
higher, the establishment must pay at least that amount.
In 1996, median weekly earnings for full-time cashiers were $247. The middle
50 percent earned between $198 and $328; 10 percent earned below $165; and 10
percent earned above $486.
Benefits for full-time cashiers tend to be better than for those working part
time. Cashiers often receive health and life insurance and paid vacations. In
addition, those working in retail establishments often receive discounts on
purchases, and cashiers in restaurants may receive free or low-cost meals. Some
employers also offer employee stock option plans.
Related Occupations
Cashiers accept payment for the purchase of goods and services. Other workers
with similar duties include food counter clerks, bank tellers, counter and
rental clerks, postal service clerks, and sales clerks, all of whom are
discussed elsewhere in the Handbook.
Sources of Additional Information
General information on retailing is available from:
National Retail Federation, 325 7th St. NW., Suite 1000, Washington, DC
20004. Homepage: http://www.nrf.com
Food Marketing Institute, 800 Connecticut Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20006.
For information about employment opportunities as a cashier, contact:
National Association of Convenience Stores, 1605 King St., Alexandria, VA
22314-2792.
Service Station Dealers of America, 9420 Annapolis Rd., Suite 307, Lanham, MD
20706.
International Mass Retail Association, 1700 N. Moore St., Suite 2250,
Arlington, VA 22209-1998.
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, Education Office,
1775 K St. NW., Washington, DC 20006-1502.
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