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Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers vs Retail Salespersons: what changes?

Consider Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers if you want to sell goods or services door-to-door or on the street. Consider Retail Salespersons if you would rather sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers. Both list no formal educational credential; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers and Retail 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.

Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers

National median pay (2025)
$41,380
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
Explain products or services and prices and demonstrate use of products.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
4,800
Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 10.4% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers brief

Retail Salespersons

National median pay (2025)
$35,410
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
Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
520,600
Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 0.3% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

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

How the national numbers differ

1

Retail Salespersons has the edge on annual openings

Retail Salespersons is at 520,600 annual openings, compared with 4,800 annual openings for Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers.

2

Retail Salespersons has the edge on projected growth

Retail Salespersons is at -0.3% projected growth, compared with -10.4% projected growth for Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers.

3

Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers has the edge on median pay

Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers is at $41,380, compared with $35,410 for Retail Salespersons.

32.7/ 100

Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers

vs
49.2/ 100

Retail 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

Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers vs Retail Salespersons

DimensionDoor-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related WorkersRetail Salespersons
Median pay (2025)$41,380$35,410
Pay percentile13 percentile3.3 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)-10.4%-0.3%
Annual openings (2025–2035)4,800520,600
2025 employment50,9003,998,100
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; One month or less 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.One month or less 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 Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers briefRead Retail Salespersons brief

Try another comparison

Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers vs Cashiers

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

Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers
$41,380 · -10.4% growth
Cashiers
$32,880 · -6.5% growth
Compare careers →

Retail Salespersons vs Counter and Rental Clerks

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

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