Career Explorer Sales
Changing shape
Counter and rental clerks
Receive orders, generally in person, for repairs, rentals, and services. May describe available options, compute cost, and accept payment.
Among the careers AI is changing fastest: more resilient than 16% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is very high (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it very high), and US jobs are projected to change by +3.0% by 2035, slower than average. The work leans on emotional intelligence.
AI can do many of the tasks, and hiring is expected to grow slower than average or to shrink. The job is likely to change, so build the human parts of it.
- Median pay (2025)
- $41,300
- Job growth to 2035
- +3.0%
- Openings a year
- 46,100
- People doing it (2025)
- 409,000
- Usual route in
- No formal credential, then short on-the-job training
Where people already use AI for this work
- Execute financial transactions
- Advise others on products or services
- Respond to customer problems or inquiries
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Maintain sales or financial records
- Collect data about consumer needs or opinions
- Sell products or services
What the work looks like
- Compute charges for merchandise or services and receive payments.
- Receive orders for services, such as rentals, repairs, dry cleaning, and storage.
- Explain rental fees, policies, and procedures.
- Provide information about rental items, such as availability, operation, or description.
- Advise customers on use and care of merchandise.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
What the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects
- Fewer of these jobs, as demand for dry cleaning at dry cleaning establishments falls and pickup and drop off laundry services increase.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Demonstrators and product promotersChanging shape, Index 19, +0.2%
- Waiters and waitressesHuman edge, steady, Index 50, +2.0%
- Baggage porters and bellhopsChanging shape, Index 31, -3.0%
- Cooks, institution and cafeteriaHuman edge, steady, Index 74, +2.8%
Also known as: Counter Clerk, Rental Agent, Rental Sales Representative, Video Clerk, Counter Service Representative, Leasing Consultant, Rental Assistant, Rental Associate.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.