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Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers: Career Profile
Sell goods or services door-to-door or on the street.
What Do Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers span:
- Explain products or services and prices and demonstrate use of products.
- Develop prospect lists.
- Deliver merchandise and collect payment.
- Write and record orders for merchandise or enter orders into computers.
- Arrange buying parties and solicit sponsorship of such parties to sell merchandise.
- Answer questions about product features and benefits.
- Distribute product samples or literature that details products or services.
- Circulate among potential customers or travel by foot, truck, automobile, or bicycle to deliver or sell merchandise or services.
What Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers Need to Know
Successful door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Balloon Seller
- Beauty Consultant
- Beauty Counselor
- Book Agent
- Book Canvasser
- Book Solicitor
- Bumboater
- Candy Butcher
Job Outlook
There are about 1,186,233 door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +9.4% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $40,226 |
| Hourly median | $19.34 |
| 10th percentile | $25,036 |
| 25th percentile | $32,631 |
| 75th percentile | $47,821 |
| 90th percentile | $55,416 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $45,490 |
| Colorado | $43,850 |
| Kansas | $41,600 |
| Wisconsin | $40,640 |
| Washington | $38,480 |
| Maryland | $37,850 |
| Oregon | $37,310 |
| Missouri | $36,750 |
| North Carolina | $36,270 |
| New Jersey | $36,030 |
| California | $34,530 |
| Indiana | $34,120 |
| Utah | $33,230 |
| Florida | $31,460 |
| Michigan | $31,010 |
| Ohio | $30,520 |
| Virginia | $30,060 |
| Texas | $23,660 |
| South Carolina | $20,470 |
| Tennessee | $20,470 |
Where Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers Earn the Most
Pay for door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $45,490 | 6.9% | 0.70 |
| Plains States | $36,750 | 6.2% | 2.10 |
| Far Western US | $35,310 | 28.0% | 1.26 |
| Rocky Mountains | $34,448 | 21.1% | 9.51 |
| Great Lakes | $32,565 | 4.2% | 0.51 |
| Southwest | $23,660 | 13.8% | 0.96 |
| Southeast | $14,541 | 19.7% | 2.54 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | OH | $84,650 | |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | MO | $41,600 | 120 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | MD | $37,850 | |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $36,690 | 210 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $34,530 | 420 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | FL | $31,200 | |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | FL | $30,880 | 110 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | VA | $29,120 | 50 |
Top Industries Employing Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers
The largest employers of door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Information | 1,310 | $26,250 |
| Construction | 1,050 | $33,860 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 940 | $40,640 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 340 | $41,830 |
| Wholesale Trade | 210 | $38,800 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 100 | $33,880 |
Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Operating system software (in demand)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
- Telephone Conversations
- Contact With Others
Education and Training
Entry-level door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers positions require less than a high school diploma as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products (Supplemental)
- Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products (Primary-Long)
- Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers (Supplemental)
- Baristas (Supplemental)
- First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers (Supplemental)
- Cashiers (Primary-Short)
- Counter and Rental Clerks (Primary-Short)
- Parts Salespersons (Supplemental)
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 41-9091.00 (Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers).