All About Retail Sales Supervisors
Job Description: Directly supervise and coordinate activities of retail sales workers in an establishment or department. Duties may include management functions, such as purchasing, budgeting, accounting, and personnel work, in addition to supervisory duties.
Life As a Retail Sales Supervisor: What Do They Do?
- Plan and prepare work schedules and keep records of employees’ work schedules and time cards.
- Instruct staff on how to handle difficult and complicated sales.
- Keep records of purchases, sales, and requisitions.
- Establish credit policies and operating procedures.
- Establish and implement policies, goals, objectives, and procedures for the department.
- Estimate consumer demand and determine the types and amounts of goods to be sold.
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Qualities of a Retail Sales Supervisor
Below is a list of the skills most Retail Sales Supervisors say are important on the job.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Types of Retail Sales Supervisor
- Store Operations Head
- Art Gallery Director
- Lumber Sales Supervisor
- Managing Jeweler
- Produce Department Supervisor
What Kind of Retail Sales Supervisor Job Opportunities Are There?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 1,532,400 jobs in the United States for Retail Sales Supervisor. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 3.8% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 57,700 new jobs for Retail Sales Supervisor by 2026. The BLS estimates 168,500 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Retail Sales Supervisor are Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Vermont, or Alaska. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Retail Sales Supervisor Average Salary
The salary for Retail Sales Supervisors ranges between about $25,720 and $69,290 a year.

Retail Sales Supervisors who work in Rhode Island, Connecticut, or New Jersey, make the highest salaries.
How much do Retail Sales Supervisors make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $42,080 |
Alaska | $45,750 |
Arizona | $41,680 |
Arkansas | $38,980 |
California | $45,310 |
Colorado | $50,850 |
Connecticut | $52,610 |
Delaware | $47,560 |
District of Columbia | $51,800 |
Florida | $46,090 |
Georgia | $43,760 |
Hawaii | $45,370 |
Idaho | $43,690 |
Illinois | $42,880 |
Indiana | $40,280 |
Iowa | $40,090 |
Kansas | $40,420 |
Kentucky | $38,060 |
Louisiana | $39,170 |
Maine | $44,700 |
Maryland | $46,240 |
Massachusetts | $47,710 |
Michigan | $45,300 |
Minnesota | $44,590 |
Mississippi | $37,710 |
Missouri | $43,400 |
Montana | $43,260 |
Nebraska | $40,260 |
Nevada | $43,930 |
New Hampshire | $48,950 |
New Jersey | $52,570 |
New Mexico | $40,110 |
New York | $50,640 |
North Carolina | $45,990 |
North Dakota | $44,620 |
Ohio | $43,080 |
Oklahoma | $42,510 |
Oregon | $44,240 |
Pennsylvania | $46,680 |
Rhode Island | $56,540 |
South Carolina | $40,790 |
South Dakota | $46,950 |
Tennessee | $43,520 |
Texas | $45,570 |
Utah | $38,940 |
Vermont | $51,310 |
Virginia | $47,330 |
Washington | $52,240 |
West Virginia | $35,120 |
Wisconsin | $43,120 |
Wyoming | $41,580 |
What Tools do Retail Sales Supervisors Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Retail Sales Supervisors:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- SAP
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Project
- Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- Microsoft Visio
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- SAS
- Microsoft Dynamics
- IBM Notes
- Microsoft Publisher
- Google Docs
How do I Become a Retail Sales Supervisor?
What education is needed to be a Retail Sales Supervisor?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Retail Sales Supervisors Are Employed

The table below shows the approximate number of Retail Sales Supervisors employed by various industries.

Related Careers
Those thinking about becoming a Retail Sales Supervisor might also be interested in the following careers:
References:
Image Credit: Nick Nijhuis via Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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