Parts Salespersons
Parts Salespersons (SOC 41-2022) earn a median $38,630 a year ($18.57 an hour) in the United States, with 270,070 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is North Dakota.
What parts salespersons do
Parts salespersons sell spare and replacement parts and equipment at a repair shop or parts store. They work out which replacement parts a job needs by looking over old parts, listening to customer requests, or hearing a description of the malfunction, and they consult catalogs, microfiche viewers, or computer screens for stock numbers and prices. They pull orders from stock and order items that are not on hand, take and fill orders by telephone, and find, label, and keep inventory of parts. They write up sales slips or contracts, take payment or obtain credit approval, and help customers by dealing with complaints and keeping them updated on back-ordered parts. Titles such as appliance parts counter clerk and automotive parts counterperson show that the work covers many kinds of equipment. Unlike retail salespersons, they sell parts used in repairs.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the usual education level (about 47 percent).
Also called: Appliance Parts Counter Clerk, Automotive Parts Clerk (Auto Parts Clerk), Automotive Parts Counter Associate (Auto Parts Counter Associate), Automotive Parts Counter Person (Auto Parts Counter Person), Automotive Parts Counterperson (Auto Parts Counterperson).
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.58 | $15.92 | $18.57 | $23.97 | $30.24 | $21.07 | 270,070 |
| Annual | $28,240 | $33,110 | $38,630 | $49,850 | $62,890 | $43,830 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where parts salespersons earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| North Dakota | Hourly | $16.77 | $20.23 | $23.37 | $28.52 | $33.00 | $24.42 | 1,610 | 3.75 | 2.16 |
| Annual | $34,890 | $42,090 | $48,600 | $59,320 | $68,640 | $50,800 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $16.77 | $17.50 | $22.91 | $28.47 | $35.82 | $24.45 | 4,840 | 1.68 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $34,870 | $36,400 | $47,660 | $59,210 | $74,500 | $50,860 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $14.83 | $17.78 | $22.61 | $27.08 | $30.52 | $22.86 | 5,790 | 1.96 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $30,850 | $36,980 | $47,030 | $56,330 | $63,480 | $47,540 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $18.11 | $19.02 | $22.51 | $27.60 | $32.82 | $24.26 | 6,230 | 1.75 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $37,670 | $39,550 | $46,830 | $57,400 | $68,270 | $50,450 | ||||
| Iowa | Hourly | $14.19 | $17.30 | $22.44 | $27.67 | $31.25 | $22.69 | 3,810 | 2.44 | 1.41 |
| Annual | $29,500 | $35,980 | $46,670 | $57,560 | $65,000 | $47,200 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $17.46 | $17.83 | $21.37 | $26.95 | $35.02 | $23.49 | 26,990 | 1.48 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $36,320 | $37,090 | $44,440 | $56,060 | $72,830 | $48,860 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $11.94 | $13.50 | $17.04 | $22.00 | $29.91 | $19.19 | 25,500 | 1.81 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $24,840 | $28,070 | $35,440 | $45,760 | $62,220 | $39,920 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $13.81 | $14.29 | $17.88 | $23.28 | $29.58 | $20.19 | 16,200 | 1.63 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $28,720 | $29,720 | $37,190 | $48,420 | $61,520 | $42,000 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $12.24 | $13.39 | $15.61 | $21.00 | $27.25 | $18.02 | 11,460 | 2.32 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $25,460 | $27,860 | $32,480 | $43,680 | $56,680 | $37,470 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $13.33 | $14.00 | $17.69 | $22.53 | $28.21 | $19.35 | 10,580 | 1.91 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $27,720 | $29,120 | $36,790 | $46,870 | $58,680 | $40,250 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $20.58 | $21.07 | $24.14 | $29.83 | $38.08 | $27.33 | 940 | 0.83 | 0.48 |
| Annual | $42,800 | $43,830 | $50,200 | $62,050 | $79,200 | $56,840 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $18.35 | $20.34 | $24.05 | $31.25 | $38.62 | $27.10 | 2,170 | 0.92 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $38,170 | $42,310 | $50,030 | $65,000 | $80,320 | $56,370 | ||||
| Greeley, CO | Hourly | $16.65 | $17.73 | $23.60 | $28.88 | $31.14 | $24.68 | 280 | 2.38 | 1.37 |
| Annual | $34,630 | $36,870 | $49,080 | $60,080 | $64,760 | $51,320 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $19.02 | $20.81 | $23.57 | $29.42 | $35.54 | $25.78 | 2,900 | 1.39 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $39,550 | $43,290 | $49,020 | $61,190 | $73,930 | $53,620 | ||||
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | Hourly | $16.85 | $17.67 | $23.53 | $29.13 | $37.19 | $25.49 | 2,330 | 1.45 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $35,040 | $36,750 | $48,950 | $60,580 | $77,360 | $53,030 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.62 | $17.73 | $20.00 | $26.50 | $35.99 | $23.31 | 8,690 | 1.39 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $36,660 | $36,880 | $41,600 | $55,120 | $74,860 | $48,490 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $13.06 | $13.45 | $17.31 | $22.88 | $31.28 | $20.09 | 7,160 | 1.77 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $27,170 | $27,980 | $36,010 | $47,600 | $65,060 | $41,780 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $13.07 | $13.54 | $16.35 | $22.43 | $29.65 | $19.38 | 6,200 | 1.89 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $27,190 | $28,170 | $34,010 | $46,650 | $61,680 | $40,310 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.83 | $17.80 | $22.56 | $28.38 | $36.15 | $24.49 | 6,050 | 0.64 | 0.37 |
| Annual | $35,000 | $37,020 | $46,930 | $59,030 | $75,190 | $50,940 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $13.18 | $14.21 | $17.76 | $24.03 | $31.73 | $21.06 | 5,450 | 1.89 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $27,420 | $29,550 | $36,940 | $49,990 | $66,010 | $43,800 | ||||
Top industries employing parts salespersons
Automotive Parts, Accessories, and Tire Retailers employ 45.9% of parts salespersons nationally (123,990 jobs) at a median $35,440 a year ($17.04 an hour), followed by Automobile Dealers (22.4%) and Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (8.5%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automotive Parts, Accessories, and Tire Retailers NAICS 441300 | 123,990 | 45.9% | $35,440 | $17.04 |
| Automobile Dealers NAICS 441100 | 60,370 | 22.4% | $45,930 | $22.08 |
| Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers NAICS 423800 | 23,000 | 8.5% | $50,320 | $24.19 |
| Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers NAICS 423100 | 19,710 | 7.3% | $48,870 | $23.50 |
| Other Motor Vehicle Dealers NAICS 441200 | 10,830 | 4.0% | $42,680 | $20.52 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (270,070). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $34,260 for parts salespersons in May 2021 and $38,630 in May 2025, with employment of 265,130 and 270,070.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $34,260 | $16.47 | 265,130 |
| May 2022 | $35,800 | $17.21 | 259,280 |
| May 2023 | $36,860 | $17.72 | 260,770 |
| May 2024 | $37,440 | $18.00 | 265,060 |
| May 2025 | $38,630 | $18.57 | 270,070 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
50 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota profile | $23.37 | $48,600 | $34,890 | $68,640 | 1,610 | 3.75 | 2.16 |
| 2 | Colorado profile | $22.91 | $47,660 | $34,870 | $74,500 | 4,840 | 1.68 | 0.97 |
| 3 | Minnesota profile | $22.61 | $47,030 | $30,850 | $63,480 | 5,790 | 1.96 | 1.13 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $22.51 | $46,830 | $37,670 | $68,270 | 6,230 | 1.75 | 1.01 |
| 5 | Iowa profile | $22.44 | $46,670 | $29,500 | $65,000 | 3,810 | 2.44 | 1.41 |
| 6 | New Hampshire profile | $22.30 | $46,370 | $30,950 | $64,290 | 1,500 | 2.19 | 1.26 |
| 7 | Vermont profile | $22.24 | $46,260 | $36,840 | $60,570 | 780 | 2.58 | 1.48 |
| 8 | Alaska profile | $22.18 | $46,130 | $36,460 | $69,250 | 710 | 2.19 | 1.26 |
| 9 | Arizona profile | $22.13 | $46,020 | $34,170 | $68,530 | 3,890 | 1.20 | 0.69 |
| 10 | New Jersey profile | $21.88 | $45,510 | $34,310 | $74,480 | 4,810 | 1.12 | 0.65 |
| 11 | Wisconsin profile | $21.82 | $45,380 | $30,570 | $61,550 | 5,200 | 1.77 | 1.02 |
| 12 | South Dakota profile | $21.81 | $45,370 | $34,880 | $61,820 | 2,100 | 4.60 | 2.65 |
| 13 | Maine profile | $21.81 | $45,350 | $31,470 | $60,020 | 1,630 | 2.55 | 1.47 |
| 14 | Oregon profile | $21.73 | $45,190 | $35,480 | $68,380 | 3,880 | 1.97 | 1.14 |
| 15 | New York profile | $21.72 | $45,180 | $34,750 | $65,140 | 7,460 | 0.77 | 0.44 |
| 16 | Hawaii profile | $21.69 | $45,120 | $35,770 | $66,150 | 930 | 1.49 | 0.86 |
| 17 | Nebraska profile | $21.68 | $45,100 | $29,920 | $62,350 | 2,360 | 2.30 | 1.32 |
| 18 | Montana profile | $21.66 | $45,060 | $29,210 | $58,960 | 1,860 | 3.64 | 2.09 |
| 19 | Massachusetts profile | $21.47 | $44,660 | $35,880 | $74,990 | 4,080 | 1.12 | 0.65 |
| 20 | Idaho profile | $21.43 | $44,580 | $30,180 | $63,090 | 1,980 | 2.31 | 1.33 |
| 21 | California profile | $21.37 | $44,440 | $36,320 | $72,830 | 26,990 | 1.48 | 0.85 |
| 22 | Connecticut profile | $21.34 | $44,400 | $35,660 | $63,460 | 3,400 | 2.00 | 1.15 |
| 23 | Michigan profile | $21.19 | $44,070 | $30,570 | $73,670 | 7,520 | 1.71 | 0.98 |
| 24 | Maryland profile | $20.41 | $42,460 | $32,760 | $63,680 | 4,370 | 1.58 | 0.91 |
| 25 | Illinois profile | $20.31 | $42,240 | $31,410 | $67,190 | 8,500 | 1.39 | 0.80 |
| 26 | Missouri profile | $19.11 | $39,740 | $29,190 | $58,820 | 5,330 | 1.82 | 1.05 |
| 27 | Utah profile | $18.84 | $39,190 | $29,620 | $74,930 | 3,080 | 1.77 | 1.02 |
| 28 | Nevada profile | $18.63 | $38,740 | $28,370 | $70,980 | 2,250 | 1.45 | 0.83 |
| 29 | Wyoming profile | $18.57 | $38,620 | $24,720 | $61,990 | 750 | 2.66 | 1.53 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania profile | $18.52 | $38,520 | $28,240 | $60,520 | 10,430 | 1.72 | 0.99 |
| 31 | Virginia profile | $18.30 | $38,070 | $28,810 | $62,010 | 7,370 | 1.79 | 1.03 |
| 32 | Delaware profile | $18.29 | $38,050 | $31,200 | $63,990 | 980 | 2.03 | 1.17 |
| 33 | Indiana profile | $18.03 | $37,500 | $28,010 | $61,070 | 7,080 | 2.21 | 1.27 |
| 34 | Florida profile | $17.88 | $37,190 | $28,720 | $61,520 | 16,200 | 1.63 | 0.94 |
| 35 | Georgia profile | $17.78 | $36,970 | $26,810 | $63,820 | 9,760 | 2.00 | 1.15 |
| 36 | Kansas profile | $17.76 | $36,940 | $23,560 | $62,420 | 3,700 | 2.58 | 1.48 |
| 37 | New Mexico profile | $17.74 | $36,890 | $28,290 | $60,420 | 1,410 | 1.62 | 0.93 |
| 38 | West Virginia profile | $17.69 | $36,800 | $23,250 | $60,080 | 1,880 | 2.69 | 1.55 |
| 39 | Ohio profile | $17.69 | $36,790 | $27,720 | $58,680 | 10,580 | 1.91 | 1.10 |
| 40 | Rhode Island profile | $17.53 | $36,450 | $31,580 | $60,800 | 920 | 1.83 | 1.05 |
| 41 | Kentucky profile | $17.50 | $36,400 | $24,100 | $59,110 | 4,220 | 2.11 | 1.22 |
| 42 | Oklahoma profile | $17.50 | $36,390 | $24,200 | $59,500 | 3,980 | 2.33 | 1.34 |
| 43 | Tennessee profile | $17.36 | $36,110 | $27,320 | $61,060 | 6,250 | 1.91 | 1.10 |
| 44 | Texas profile | $17.04 | $35,440 | $24,840 | $62,220 | 25,500 | 1.81 | 1.04 |
| 45 | Arkansas profile | $16.98 | $35,320 | $26,910 | $54,300 | 3,330 | 2.55 | 1.47 |
| 46 | Mississippi profile | $16.83 | $35,000 | $23,240 | $54,060 | 2,940 | 2.53 | 1.46 |
| 47 | Alabama profile | $16.26 | $33,820 | $23,690 | $58,240 | 5,880 | 2.78 | 1.60 |
| 48 | North Carolina profile | $15.61 | $32,480 | $25,460 | $56,680 | 11,460 | 2.32 | 1.34 |
| 49 | South Carolina profile | $15.47 | $32,180 | $23,660 | $53,590 | 4,600 | 1.99 | 1.15 |
| 50 | Louisiana profile | $15.05 | $31,310 | $23,390 | $55,120 | 3,960 | 2.05 | 1.18 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (41-2020), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Sales and Related Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 41-2022 Parts Salespersons.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 41-2022, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 41-2022.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.