Parts salespersons salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $28,240 | $13.58 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $38,630 | $18.57 |
| Mean (average) | $43,830 | $21.07 |
| 90th percentile | $62,890 | $30.24 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Parts salespersons pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 53 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $33,820 | $23,690 | $58,240 | 5,880 | 1.6 |
| Alaska | $46,130 | $36,460 | $69,250 | 710 | 1.26 |
| Arizona | $46,020 | $34,170 | $68,530 | 3,890 | 0.69 |
| Arkansas | $35,320 | $26,910 | $54,300 | 3,330 | 1.47 |
| California | $44,440 | $36,320 | $72,830 | 26,990 | 0.85 |
| Colorado | $47,660 | $34,870 | $74,500 | 4,840 | 0.97 |
| Connecticut | $44,400 | $35,660 | $63,460 | 3,400 | 1.15 |
| Delaware | $38,050 | $31,200 | $63,990 | 980 | 1.17 |
| Florida | $37,190 | $28,720 | $61,520 | 16,200 | 0.94 |
| Georgia | $36,970 | $26,810 | $63,820 | 9,760 | 1.15 |
| Guam | $26,990 | $21,550 | $34,310 | 70 | 0.64 |
| Hawaii | $45,120 | $35,770 | $66,150 | 930 | 0.86 |
| Idaho | $44,580 | $30,180 | $63,090 | 1,980 | 1.33 |
| Illinois | $42,240 | $31,410 | $67,190 | 8,500 | 0.8 |
| Indiana | $37,500 | $28,010 | $61,070 | 7,080 | 1.27 |
| Iowa | $46,670 | $29,500 | $65,000 | 3,810 | 1.41 |
| Kansas | $36,940 | $23,560 | $62,420 | 3,700 | 1.48 |
| Kentucky | $36,400 | $24,100 | $59,110 | 4,220 | 1.22 |
| Louisiana | $31,310 | $23,390 | $55,120 | 3,960 | 1.18 |
| Maine | $45,350 | $31,470 | $60,020 | 1,630 | 1.47 |
| Maryland | $42,460 | $32,760 | $63,680 | 4,370 | 0.91 |
| Massachusetts | $44,660 | $35,880 | $74,990 | 4,080 | 0.65 |
| Michigan | $44,070 | $30,570 | $73,670 | 7,520 | 0.98 |
| Minnesota | $47,030 | $30,850 | $63,480 | 5,790 | 1.13 |
| Mississippi | $35,000 | $23,240 | $54,060 | 2,940 | 1.46 |
| Missouri | $39,740 | $29,190 | $58,820 | 5,330 | 1.05 |
| Montana | $45,060 | $29,210 | $58,960 | 1,860 | 2.09 |
| Nebraska | $45,100 | $29,920 | $62,350 | 2,360 | 1.32 |
| Nevada | $38,740 | $28,370 | $70,980 | 2,250 | 0.83 |
| New Hampshire | $46,370 | $30,950 | $64,290 | 1,500 | 1.26 |
| New Jersey | $45,510 | $34,310 | $74,480 | 4,810 | 0.65 |
| New Mexico | $36,890 | $28,290 | $60,420 | 1,410 | 0.93 |
| New York | $45,180 | $34,750 | $65,140 | 7,460 | 0.44 |
| North Carolina | $32,480 | $25,460 | $56,680 | 11,460 | 1.34 |
| North Dakota | $48,600 | $34,890 | $68,640 | 1,610 | 2.16 |
| Ohio | $36,790 | $27,720 | $58,680 | 10,580 | 1.1 |
| Oklahoma | $36,390 | $24,200 | $59,500 | 3,980 | 1.34 |
| Oregon | $45,190 | $35,480 | $68,380 | 3,880 | 1.14 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,520 | $28,240 | $60,520 | 10,430 | 0.99 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,780 | $21,840 | $27,340 | 3,600 | 2.21 |
| Rhode Island | $36,450 | $31,580 | $60,800 | 920 | 1.05 |
| South Carolina | $32,180 | $23,660 | $53,590 | 4,600 | 1.15 |
| South Dakota | $45,370 | $34,880 | $61,820 | 2,100 | 2.65 |
| Tennessee | $36,110 | $27,320 | $61,060 | 6,250 | 1.1 |
| Texas | $35,440 | $24,840 | $62,220 | 25,500 | 1.04 |
| Utah | $39,190 | $29,620 | $74,930 | 3,080 | 1.02 |
| Vermont | $46,260 | $36,840 | $60,570 | 780 | 1.48 |
| Virgin Islands | $28,610 | $23,640 | $38,590 | 40 | 0.68 |
| Virginia | $38,070 | $28,810 | $62,010 | 7,370 | 1.03 |
| Washington | $46,830 | $37,670 | $68,270 | 6,230 | 1.01 |
| West Virginia | $36,800 | $23,250 | $60,080 | 1,880 | 1.55 |
| Wisconsin | $45,380 | $30,570 | $61,550 | 5,200 | 1.02 |
| Wyoming | $38,620 | $24,720 | $61,990 | 750 | 1.53 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for parts salespersons
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 30,000. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.4%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for parts salespersons
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Selling Skills and Sales Operations CIP 52.1804
- Vehicle and Vehicle Parts and Accessories Marketing Operations CIP 52.1907
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Receive payment or obtain credit authorization.
- Assist customers, such as responding to customer complaints and updating them about back-ordered parts.
- Fill customer orders from stock, and place orders when requested items are out of stock.
- Receive and fill telephone orders for parts.
- Locate and label parts, and maintain inventory of stock.
- Prepare sales slips or sales contracts.
- Read catalogs, microfiche viewers, or computer displays to determine replacement part stock numbers and prices.
- Determine replacement parts required, according to inspections of old parts, customer requests, or customers' descriptions of malfunctions.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Word (in demand)
- Inventory control system software (in demand)
- Inventory management systems (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- SAP software (hot technology)
- Customer information databases
- Inventory tracking software
- SmugMug Flickr
- Web browser software
Transferable skills for career changers: Persuasion, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Coordination.
Common job titles: Parts Advisor, Parts Consultant, Parts Counter Salesperson, Parts Counterman, Parts Counterperson, Parts Person, Parts Salesman, Parts Salesperson, Parts Specialist, Wholesale Parts Salesperson.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do parts salespersons make?
The national median annual wage for parts salespersons was $38,630 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $28,240 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $62,890. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do parts salespersons need?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is parts salespersons a growing career?
BLS projects employment of parts salespersons to change +3.0% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 30,000 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay parts salespersons the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were North Dakota ($48,600), Colorado ($47,660), Minnesota ($47,030). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.