First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers

What First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers Do

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.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

Less than 5 years

On-the-job training

None

Self-employed

22.5%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.8/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 4.5/5
• Sales and Marketingimportance 3.9/5
• English Languageimportance 3.9/5
• Education and Trainingimportance 3.6/5
• Personnel and Human Resourcesimportance 3.3/5
• Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.3/5
• Mathematicsimportance 3.3/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams5.0/5
• Contact With Others4.8/5
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.8/5
• Telephone Conversations4.7/5
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.7/5
• Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.5/5

Related Careers

• First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
• First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
• First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
• First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services
• First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers
• Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
• First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
• First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Gambling Managers98% skill match
• First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers98% skill match
• Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling98% skill match
• Sales Managers97% skill match
• Directors, Religious Activities and Education97% skill match
• Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare97% skill match
• First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers97% skill match
• Residential Advisors97% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Service Orientationimportance 3.8/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.5/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.5/5
• Persuasionimportance 3.3/5
• Negotiationimportance 3.3/5
• Instructingimportance 3.3/5
• Management of Personnel Resourcesimportance 3.3/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Dependability
• Leadership Orientation
• Social Orientation
• Cooperation
• Achievement Orientation
• Attention to Detail
• Integrity

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• EnterprisingHigh
• ConventionalHigh
• SocialMedium
• RealisticLow
• InvestigativeLow
• ArtisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where first-line supervisors of retail sales workers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Arecibo, PR2.72× national avg
2. 2Guayama, PR2.68× national avg
3. 3Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL2.58× national avg
4. 4Aguadilla, PR2.47× national avg
5. 5Mayaguez, PR2.26× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support WorkersCareer Change
• First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales WorkersAdvancement
• Gambling ManagersCareer Change
• Postmasters and Mail SuperintendentsCareer Change

See the full career path from First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.