Match the old part
Compare the worn part or the customer's description against the catalog, then confirm the part number and price.
Career profile
Parts Salesperson
Parts salespersons help customers find and buy replacement parts for vehicles and equipment.
A customer hands you a worn-out part. A few questions and a catalog search later, you know which new one fits.
A day in the life
Order an unavailable part
Check whether a missing part is available, order it, then tell the customer or shop foreman it's arrived.
Verify a return
Find the original sales invoice and confirm the sale and the amount paid before you give any credit.
Put away new stock
Shelve incoming stock and keep things tidy so whoever fills a later order finds it fast.
Quick facts
Learn on the job
United States · 2025
$38,630/year
United States · May 2025
3% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Learn on the jobUsually no formal education requirement; some employers prefer a high school diploma.
Pay
$38,630/yearNational median for parts salespersons; $18.57 an hour.
Outlook
3% projected growthAbout 30,000 openings per year nationally, including replacement openings.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like checking tiny differences in part numbers.
- You enjoy explaining choices to someone who knows less about the product.
- You can switch between a phone caller and a customer at the counter without losing track.
Things to weigh
- Phone orders and walk-in customers can compete for your attention.
- Stocking means lifting merchandise, and retail schedules may include nights and weekends.
Where AI may help
Computer catalogs help find part numbers; inventory software tracks stock.
What people still lead
You clarify what the customer needs and explain replacement options.
What we can’t predict yet
As more shopping moves online, the balance between straightforward orders and customers needing counter help may change.
Pay in context
Earnings
Compare the workplace and pay formula when weighing an offer.
The middle and the spread
The median was $38,630 yearly, or $18.57 hourly. The lowest 10% earned below $13.58 hourly; the highest 10% exceeded $30.24. These are not beginner and experienced-worker rates.
Workplace differences
Hourly medians were $17.04 at automotive parts, accessories, and tire retailers, $22.08 at automobile dealers, and $23.75 in wholesale trade.
Read the pay formula
These wages include sales commissions but exclude overtime premiums. Ask what pay is guaranteed and what depends on sales.
Openings exceed new jobs
Employment is projected to grow 3% during 2025–2035. The roughly 30,000 annual openings include replacing workers, not just adding positions.
Getting started
Start at a retail parts counter
- What the route involves
- Learn from experienced employees while practicing customer service, checkout, and parts selection.
- What it can lead to
- Build experience helping customers choose products and keeping a parts store running.
Bring parts experience to a dealership
- What the route involves
- Build parts-department and sales experience, then apply for a dealership counter role.
- What it can lead to
- You may qualify to supply both walk-in buyers and the dealership's repair technicians.
- What to check
- Some positions require a diploma or equivalent and a year each of parts-department and sales experience. Check the individual requirements.
Workplace training is the usual starting point; requirements vary by employer.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Learn the checkout system and keep building your knowledge of the parts your store sells.
Handle harder requests
Build confidence with technician requests and special orders while keeping up with new products.
Serve professional repair shops
An experienced parts specialist can move toward an installer service specialist role, concentrating on professional repair customers.
Where you can work
Automotive parts stores
You move between customer advice, sales, and stocking. Product promotions matter alongside finding the right item; schedules can include evenings and weekends.
- Indoors
- Shift work
- Physical demands
Dealership parts departments
The repair shop is also your customer. You connect parts to repair orders and coordinate with technicians and the shop foreman.
- Indoors
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Pick a vehicle whose year, model, and engine you know. Use an online parts catalog to look up an air filter. Record the questions the catalog asks and compare two listings. Notice whether you enjoy checking details before choosing.
Stay safe: Keep this a lookup exercise; you do not need to buy or install anything.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. 41-2022.00 — Parts Salespersons. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retail Sales Workers — Occupational Outlook Handbook. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections and worker characteristics, 2025–35. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- AutoZone. Retail Sales Associate – Part Time, Randleman, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Sonic Automotive. Parts Counterperson — Global Imports MINI. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- O'Reilly Auto Parts. Parts Specialist — R189799. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- O'Reilly Auto Parts. Installer Service Specialist — Tualatin, Oregon. Accessed 2026-10-02.