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Quick answer · Balanced priorities

Counter and Rental Clerks vs Parts Salespersons: what changes?

Consider Counter and Rental Clerks if you want to receive orders, generally in person, for repairs, rentals, and services. Consider Parts Salespersons if you would rather sell spare and replacement parts and equipment in repair shop or parts store. Both list no formal educational credential; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Counter and Rental Clerks and Parts Salespersons. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Counter and Rental Clerks

National median pay (2025)
$41,300
Route into the job
No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Compute charges for merchandise or services and receive payments.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
46,100
Know before you choose

Review the full career brief for day-to-day working conditions.

See the full Counter and Rental Clerks brief

Parts Salespersons

National median pay (2025)
$38,630
Route into the job
No formal educational credential; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Receive payment or obtain credit authorization.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
30,000
Know before you choose

Review the full career brief for day-to-day working conditions.

See the full Parts Salespersons brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Counter and Rental Clerks has the edge on annual openings

Counter and Rental Clerks is at 46,100 annual openings, compared with 30,000 annual openings for Parts Salespersons.

2

Counter and Rental Clerks has the edge on median pay

Counter and Rental Clerks is at $41,300, compared with $38,630 for Parts Salespersons.

55/ 100

Counter and Rental Clerks

vs
52.8/ 100

Parts Salespersons

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Counter and Rental Clerks vs Parts Salespersons

DimensionCounter and Rental ClerksParts Salespersons
Median pay (2025)$41,300$38,630
Pay percentile12.6 percentile9.5 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)3%3%
Annual openings (2025–2035)46,10030,000
2025 employment409,400273,300
How you qualifyNo formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensingNo formal educational credential; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 2Job Zone 2
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job trainingOne month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Counter and Rental Clerks briefRead Parts Salespersons brief

Try another comparison

Counter and Rental Clerks vs Cashiers

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Counter and Rental Clerks
$41,300 · 3% growth
Cashiers
$32,880 · -6.5% growth
Compare careers →

Counter and Rental Clerks vs Retail Salespersons

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Counter and Rental Clerks
$41,300 · 3% growth
Retail Salespersons
$35,410 · -0.3% growth
Compare careers →

Parts Salespersons vs Retail Salespersons

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Parts Salespersons
$38,630 · 3% growth
Retail Salespersons
$35,410 · -0.3% growth
Compare careers →
ChooseField compares fields using public labor-market and professional sources.