Counter and Rental Clerks pay in the United States

Goes furthest in North Dakota
·Sales·
401k jobs
Figures from US Bureau of Labor StatisticsOccupational Employment and Wage Statistics
$19.86/hr median
400,810 employed
+3% to 2035
42% AI exposure
No formal educational credential
54 states reported
and more...

What this work is

Receive orders, generally in person, for repairs, rentals, and services. May describe available options, compute cost, and accept payment.

Where the money actually goes furthest

District of Columbia pays the highest headline figure at $53,760. Adjusted for what things cost there it is worth $48,917 — less than North Dakota, where $44,620 is worth $50,157.

Pay by state

54 states and territories publish a median for this occupation. Switch the ranking to see how much the order changes.

Adjusted for what things cost in that state.

Median pay for Counter and Rental Clerks by state, ranked by what it is worth locally
StateHourlyAnnualWorth locallyAfter state taxJobs
North Dakota$21.45/hr$44,620$50,157$44,6201,460
Vermont$23.29/hr$48,430$49,438$47,042750
District of Columbia$25.85/hr$53,760$48,917$51,610480
Wisconsin$21.98/hr$45,720$48,586$44,3946,600
Maine$22.53/hr$46,870$48,294$44,9461,180
Wyoming$21.09/hr$43,860$47,319$43,860900
Montana$21.11/hr$43,900$46,381$42,4241,490
Minnesota$21.56/hr$44,850$45,477$43,2304,710
New Hampshire$22.72/hr$47,250$45,358$47,2501,590
Rhode Island$22.29/hr$46,360$45,326$45,017840
Virginia$21.89/hr$45,540$45,044$43,66712,910
New Jersey$23.51/hr$48,900$44,940$47,6909,540
Colorado$22.23/hr$46,240$44,871$44,89513,900
Washington$22.99/hr$47,820$44,687$47,82014,600
Iowa$18.73/hr$38,960$44,393$38,0341,900
Pennsylvania$20.63/hr$42,910$43,978$41,59210,780
Arizona$21.12/hr$43,920$43,623$43,18711,080
Kansas$18.80/hr$39,090$43,399$37,1972,990
Kentucky$18.75/hr$38,990$43,245$37,5562,960
New York$22.25/hr$46,270$42,874$44,33018,320
Alaska$20.89/hr$43,450$42,448$43,450660
Oregon$21.07/hr$43,820$42,395$40,5265,450
Oklahoma$17.87/hr$37,160$42,304$35,8853,920
Missouri$18.23/hr$37,920$41,752$36,9944,880
Massachusetts$21.19/hr$44,070$41,669$41,8668,220
Ohio$18.56/hr$38,590$41,597$38,2459,400
Mississippi$17.39/hr$36,160$41,587$34,6702,820
Tennessee$18.25/hr$37,960$41,319$37,9607,640
Idaho$18.93/hr$39,370$41,229$38,0572,070
South Dakota$17.50/hr$36,400$41,088$36,400690
Michigan$18.92/hr$39,350$40,895$37,91513,410
California$21.64/hr$45,010$40,652$44,04867,770
North Carolina$18.38/hr$38,230$40,527$37,14717,580
Nebraska$17.53/hr$36,450$40,455$35,4433,960
Hawaii$21.36/hr$44,420$40,400$42,4551,700
Arkansas$16.80/hr$34,940$40,188$33,7543,560
Georgia$18.56/hr$38,590$40,076$37,20911,490
South Carolina$17.95/hr$37,340$39,829$36,6076,280
Alabama$16.91/hr$35,170$39,596$33,6018,010
Louisiana$16.78/hr$34,910$39,576$34,2373,740
Indiana$17.64/hr$36,680$39,301$35,6097,990
Nevada$18.82/hr$39,140$39,147$39,1402,460
West Virginia$16.72/hr$34,780$38,860$33,7882,300
Delaware$18.56/hr$38,600$38,673$37,024870
New Mexico$17.11/hr$35,580$38,585$34,9232,360
Texas$17.91/hr$37,250$38,378$37,25036,600
Illinois$18.34/hr$38,140$38,155$36,3898,440
Connecticut$18.99/hr$39,490$38,114$37,9623,060
Utah$18.05/hr$37,550$37,983$35,8413,280
Maryland$18.99/hr$39,490$37,623$37,7944,060
Florida$18.21/hr$37,870$36,621$37,87027,160
Virgin Islands$14.21/hr$29,560Not publishedNot published140
Guam$11.35/hr$23,600Not publishedNot published200
Puerto Rico$11.11/hr$23,110Not publishedNot published1,680

National median for comparison: $41,300. “Worth locally” divides pay by the area’s price level, so a figure above the headline means money goes further there than the US average.

$41,300/year

$19.86/hr an hour, national median

Across the states

$21,810$62,400

25th to 75th percentile, lowest and highest state

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How much of this job could software do?

42%Moderate exposure
Hands, places, peopleLanguage and information

Both methods agree closely.

Method 1 — ability mix47%

Cognitive share of O*NET ability importance (element families 1.A.1–1.A.4), O*NET 31.0

Method 2 — task content38%

Importance-weighted share of O*NET tasks classed as language or information work, O*NET 31.0

What this does and does not mean

Exposure means a model could plausibly do a meaningful share of the tasks in this job. It is not a forecast that the job disappears, and it says nothing about whether any employer will actually automate it.

For what the labour market expects, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in this occupation to change by +3% between 2025 and 2035, with about 46,100 openings a year.

Which parts are exposed

  • Compute charges for merchandise or services and receive payments.
  • Receive orders for services, such as rentals, repairs, dry cleaning, and storage.
  • Provide information about rental items, such as availability, operation, or description.
  • Explain rental fees, policies, and procedures.
  • Advise customers on use and care of merchandise.
  • Greet customers and discuss the type, quality, and quantity of merchandise sought for rental.

Amber marks language and information work. Green marks tasks that need a person in a place.

Where counter and rental clerks move next

Occupations that share most of this one’s skills, with the pay difference and the change in AI exposure.

Location

San Diego, CA, United States of America (SAN-San Diego Intl.)

Photograph by Tom Tillhub.