Counter and Rental Clerks Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of counter and rental clerks to grow 3.0% from 2025 to 2035 (about 12,400 more jobs), with about 46,100 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $41,300 a year ranks 716th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +3.0%
- Openings a year
- 46,100
- Median pay
- $41,300
- Pay rank
- 716th of 825
Is employment of counter and rental clerks growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of counter and rental clerks to rise 3.0% (about 12,400 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the -1.4% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 22 sales and related occupations with a projection. That change ranks 393rd of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 409,400 |
| Employment, 2035 | 421,900 |
| Projected change | +3.0% |
| Openings a year | 46,100 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 409,400 jobs here differ from the 400,810 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 46,100 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 87th most of 830 occupations. About 97% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 1,240 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for counter and rental clerks rank?
The median of $41,300 a year ranks 716th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on openings and the lower half on pay.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: no formal educational credential.
- Typical on-the-job training: short-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | -0.3% | 520,600 | $35,410 |
| Cashiers | -6.5% | 521,300 | $32,880 |
| Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers | -10.4% | 4,800 | $41,380 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | +2.7% | 115,700 | $69,990 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | -0.9% | 99,800 | $72,080 |
| Telemarketers | -21.4% | 5,800 | $35,450 |
| Parts Salespersons | +3.0% | 30,000 | $38,630 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | +1.2% | 23,600 | $104,920 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.