Cashiers
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Cashiers in the United States earn a median salary of $32,880 per year — about $16 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 3.2M people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of -10%.
AI & Automation Risk
While the job has physical components like bagging and stocking, the core function of processing transactions is highly susceptible to automation through computer vision and AI-driven self-checkout systems. The BLS already projects a significant decline in employment due to these technological shifts, as AI can increasingly handle age verification, fraud detection, and customer inquiries.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewiston, ID-WABEST VALUE | $34,660 | Below avg (87.9) | $39,437 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $44,210 | Above avg (112.7) | $39,217 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | $35,810 | Below avg (91.9) | $38,985 |
| Bozeman, MT | $38,130 | Average (99.0) | $38,512 |
| Boulder, CO | $38,520 | Average (100.6) | $38,285 |
| Mankato, MN | $33,530 | Below avg (87.6) | $38,256 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $42,960 | Above avg (113.1) | $37,998 |
| Missoula, MT | $35,610 | Below avg (93.9) | $37,919 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | $33,020 | Below avg (87.2) | $37,875 |
| Helena, MT | $34,750 | Below avg (92.1) | $37,728 |
| Rochester, MN | $34,960 | Below avg (93.0) | $37,608 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | $33,420 | Below avg (89.1) | $37,494 |
| Bismarck, ND | $33,260 | Below avg (89.4) | $37,223 |
| Santa Fe, NM | $34,900 | Below avg (94.1) | $37,102 |
| Grand Junction, CO | $34,390 | Below avg (92.8) | $37,078 |