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

Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers: Career Overview

Sell goods or services door-to-door or on the street.

The day-to-day responsibilities of door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers include:

  • 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.

Skills and Knowledge

Successful door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Key Skills

These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Speaking  4.0 / 5
0
5
Persuasion  4.0 / 5
0
5
Social Perceptiveness  3.8 / 5
0
5
Service Orientation  3.6 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  3.4 / 5
0
5
Coordination  3.2 / 5
0
5

Top Knowledge Areas

Customer and Personal Service  4.4 / 5
0
5
Sales and Marketing  4.2 / 5
0
5
English Language  3.3 / 5
0
5
Administrative  3.0 / 5
0
5
Administration and Management  3.0 / 5
0
5
Education and Training  2.6 / 5
0
5

Common job titles for this role include:

  • 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.

Forecasted number of jobs for Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers
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

Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers
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

Compensation for door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:

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
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

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 sectors

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers industries
  • 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)

The Day-to-Day Environment

The on-the-job environment of door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers is shaped by 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

Getting Started in This Career

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. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.

Other Careers to Consider

Similar Occupations

About the Data

Statistics shown above are sourced from 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).

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