Parts Salespersons
What Parts Salespersons Do
Sell spare and replacement parts and equipment in repair shop or parts store.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 1.6%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.4/5
- Sales and Marketingimportance 4.1/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 4.0/5
- Administrativeimportance 3.9/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.8/5
- English Languageimportance 3.6/5
- Economics and Accountingimportance 3.5/5
- Production and Processingimportance 3.3/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Contact With Others5.0/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.9/5
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.8/5
- Telephone Conversations4.8/5
- Freedom to Make Decisions4.5/5
- E-Mail4.5/5
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.
- Dental Assistants94% skill match
- Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs92% skill match
- Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers92% skill match
- Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians92% skill match
- Veterinary Technologists and Technicians92% skill match
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers92% skill match
- Firefighters91% skill match
- Gambling Change Persons and Booth Cashiers91% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Persuasionimportance 3.8/5
- Service Orientationimportance 3.6/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.4/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
- Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
- Negotiationimportance 2.9/5
- Instructingimportance 2.9/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
In-Demand Technologies
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Social Orientation
- Attention to Detail
- Cooperation
- Integrity
- Perseverance
- Self-Confidence
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalHigh
- EnterprisingMedium
- SocialLow
- InvestigativeLow
- ArtisticLow
Specific Interests
A more detailed breakdown of this occupation’s interest profile, per O*NET.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where parts salespersons make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI3.80× national avg
- 2Minot, ND3.01× national avg
- 3Mayaguez, PR2.83× national avg
- 4Arecibo, PR2.79× national avg
- 5Sioux Falls, SD-MN2.71× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Shuttle Drivers and ChauffeursCareer Change
- Hearing Aid SpecialistsCareer Change
- Log Graders and ScalersCareer Change
- Pest Control WorkersCareer Change
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.
Selling Skills and Sales Operations
- New York University (New York, NY)grads earn ~$120,018
- CUNY Bernard M Baruch College (New York, NY)grads earn ~$76,565
- Texas A&M University-College Station (College Station, TX)grads earn ~$93,141
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison, WI)grads earn ~$82,081
- West Chester University of Pennsylvania (West Chester, PA)
Special Products Marketing Operations
- Fashion Institute of Technology (New York, NY)grads earn ~$60,504
- Florida State College at Jacksonville (Jacksonville, FL)grads earn ~$47,402
- Fashion Institute of Technology (New York, NY)grads earn ~$70,727
- Kent State University at Kent (Kent, OH)grads earn ~$61,055
- Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA)grads earn ~$80,764