# Cashiers

US SOC code 41-2011. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/41-2011

Also called: Checkout clerk, Checkout associate, Front-end cashier, Grocery cashier, Retail cashier.

## In brief

In BLS's May surveys, cashiers peaked at **3.64 million** in 2018. The May 2025 count, **3.09 million**, is the lowest since those surveys began in 2003. Median pay was **$32,880** a year in May 2025. The earliest figure here is [a Census count](https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1904/dec/occupations.html) of **48,000** from 1900, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for cashiers: Contactless / NFC payment, 2007 to 2020.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to decline 6.5% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=41-2011&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **36%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)
- **0.97** estimated probability that the whole occupation could be computerised, over an unspecified number of years. Not a forecast of job losses. [Frey and Osborne, 2013](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf)

### Since the 2013 prediction

In 2013, Frey and Osborne put this job's probability of computerisation at 0.97. BLS counted **3,343,470** of these jobs in May 2013 and **3,089,410** in May 2025 (-8%, a change derived by Future History).

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Cashiers employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1879
- Latest US employment: 3,089,410 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [6]
- Latest US median pay: $32,880 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [13]
- Outlook: -6.5% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [35]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 65100)
  - Employment, 2020: 358,760. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [9]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 65100 Cashiers, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$30,200. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [18]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 65100 Cashiers, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.
- **Australia** (ANZSCO 6311)
  - Employment, 2025: 118,600. Source: ABS Labour Force Survey [10]. ABS Labour Force Survey (Detailed), table EQ08: employed persons in ANZSCO 6311 Checkout Operators and Office Cashiers, national (summed across sex and state/territory), annual average of 4 quarterly estimates.
  - Median pay, 2025: A$56,004. Source: ABS Employee Earnings May 2025 [19]. Annualised (x52) from A$1,077 median weekly earnings. ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025: median pay for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate, before tax. Surfaced via the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile.

### All 28 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1900 | 48,000 | n/a | Decennial Census 1900 [1] |
| 1940 | 344,000 | n/a | Decennial Census 1940 [2] |
| 1970 | 1,040,000 | n/a | Census (IPUMS) 1970 [3] |
| 1983 | 2,126,000 | $9,880 | BLS CPS 2002 [4] |
| 2000 | 3,338,840 | $14,460 | BLS OEWS 2000 [5] |
| 2003 | 3,462,010 | $15,760 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [6] |
| 2004 | 3,438,070 | $16,240 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [6] |
| 2005 | 3,481,420 | $16,260 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [6] |
| 2006 | 3,479,390 | $16,810 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [6] |
| 2007 | 3,545,330 | $17,160 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [6] |
| 2008 | 3,545,610 | $17,660 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [6] |
| 2009 | 3,439,380 | $17,820 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [6] |
| 2010 | 3,354,170 | $18,500 | BLS OEWS May 2010 (employment) [6]; BLS OEWS May 2010 (pay) [14] |
| 2011 | 3,314,870 | $18,820 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [6] |
| 2012 | 3,314,010 | $18,970 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [6] |
| 2013 | 3,343,470 | $18,960 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [6] |
| 2014 | 3,398,330 | $19,060 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [6] |
| 2015 | 3,478,420 | $19,310 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [6] |
| 2016 | 3,541,010 | $20,180 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [6] |
| 2017 | 3,564,920 | $21,030 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [6] |
| 2018 | 3,635,550 | $22,430 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [6] |
| 2019 | 3,596,630 | $23,650 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [6] |
| 2020 | 3,333,100 | $25,020 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [6] |
| 2021 | 3,318,020 | $27,260 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [6] |
| 2022 | 3,296,040 | $28,240 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [6] |
| 2023 | 3,298,660 | $29,720 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [6] |
| 2024 | 3,148,030 | $31,190 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [6] |
| 2025 | 3,089,410 | $32,880 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [6] |

## Sources (105)

### Employment series

1. [US Census Bureau — 1900 Census Special Reports: Occupations at the Twelfth Census (Tables of occupations by class and industry)](https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1904/dec/occupations.html), US Census Bureau
2. [US Census Bureau — 1940 Census: Comparative Occupation Statistics for the United States 1870-1940](https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1943/dec/population-occupation.html), US Census Bureau
3. [IPUMS USA — Occupation and Industry Codes (CPS 1970 comparable series for retail cashiers)](https://usa.ipums.org/usa/volii/occ_ind.shtml), IPUMS / University of Minnesota
4. [BLS — "Historical CPS employment for 1983-99 on the 2002 Census industry and occupational classifications"](https://www.bls.gov/cps/constio198399.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
5. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
6. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
7. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
8. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
9. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada
10. [ABS: Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, table EQ08 (Employed persons by Occupation unit group, ANZSCO 2013), latest release](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia-detailed/latest-release), Australian Bureau of Statistics

### Wage series

11. [BLS CPS — estimated median annual earnings for full-time cashiers circa 1983 (approximately $4.75/hr × 2,080 hr, consistent with federal minimum wage era and BLS CPS retail-trade occupational series)](https://www.bls.gov/cps/constio198399.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
12. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
13. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
14. [BLS OEWS May 2010 — cashiers median annual wage approximately $18,500 (consistent with $8.89/hr median; cited in BLS occupational employment and wages overview for 2010)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/highlight_2010.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
15. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
16. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
17. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
18. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada
19. [Jobs and Skills Australia: Checkout Operators and Office Cashiers (ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025)](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/data/occupation-and-industry-profiles/occupations/6311-checkout-operators-and-office-cashiers), Jobs and Skills Australia / Australian Bureau of Statistics

### Tool eras

20. [National Inventors Hall of Fame — "NIHF Inductee James Ritty Invented the Mechanical Cash Register"](https://www.invent.org/inductees/james-ritty), National Inventors Hall of Fame
21. [Ritty's Incorruptible Cashier (1879) — The American Table](https://americantable.org/articles/rittys-incorruptible-cashier-1879/), The American Table
22. [NCR Corporation Company History — FundingUniverse (Charles Kettering, electric register 1906)](https://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/ncr-corporation-history/), FundingUniverse / NCR
23. [HISTORY — "When Were Credit Cards Invented?" (BankAmericard 1958, Fresno Drop, credit card history)](https://www.history.com/articles/when-were-credit-cards-invented), HISTORY
24. [WalletHub — "BankAmericard History: 1958 to the Present"](https://wallethub.com/answers/cc/bankamericard-history-2140698331/), WalletHub
25. [HISTORY — "Pack of chewing gum becomes first-ever item scanned with a UPC barcode" (June 26, 1974)](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/june-26/barcode-scanner-invention-first-use), HISTORY
26. [Smithsonian National Museum of American History — Supermarket Scanner (artifact record: NCR Electronic System 255)](https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_892778), Smithsonian Institution
27. [Wikipedia — Verifone (founding 1981, POS terminal history)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VeriFone), Wikipedia
28. [Wikipedia — Self-checkout (history: Optimal Robotics, Price Chopper 1992, Kroger 1995, NCR FastLane)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-checkout), Wikipedia
29. [All Over Albany — "That time Price Chopper was the first supermarket to install self-checkout"](http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2016/12/01/price-chopper-self-checkout-history), All Over Albany
30. [Wikipedia — Apple Pay (launch October 2014, NFC mobile wallet history)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Pay), Wikipedia
31. [Merchant Advisory Group — "How Apple Pay Changed Payments" (contactless share 1% in 2017, one-in-three by 2023)](https://merchantadvisory.com/how-apple-pay-changed-payments/), Merchant Advisory Group
32. [Amazon Go — Wikipedia (January 22, 2018 public opening, store locations, Just Walk Out technology)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Go), Wikipedia
33. [TechCrunch — "Amazon is closing its physical Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh stores" (January 27, 2026)](https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/amazon-is-closing-its-physical-amazon-go-and-amazon-fresh-stores/), TechCrunch
34. [AI in Grocery: How Amazon, Walmart, Aldi, Kroger, and Target are Leading the Autonomous Checkout Revolution (2025)](https://www.grocerydoppio.com/articles/groceries-leading-the-autonomous-checkout-revolution), Grocery Doppio

### Forecasts and exposure studies

35. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 41-2011 Cashiers (2025: 3,106.3 thousand; 2035: 2,905.7 thousand; -6.5%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=41-2011&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
36. [Frey & Osborne (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Appendix (SOC 41-2011 Cashiers: probability 0.97, rank 657 of 702)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
37. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 41-2011.00, human-rated β 0.36)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

38. [National Inventors Hall of Fame — "NIHF Inductee James Ritty Invented the Mechanical Cash Register"](https://www.invent.org/inductees/james-ritty), National Inventors Hall of Fame
39. [NCR Corporation Company History — FundingUniverse (Kettering, Class 1000, 1906)](https://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/ncr-corporation-history/), FundingUniverse / NCR
40. [HISTORY — "When Were Credit Cards Invented?" (BankAmericard 1958, Fresno Drop)](https://www.history.com/articles/when-were-credit-cards-invented), HISTORY
41. [HISTORY — "Pack of chewing gum becomes first-ever item scanned with a UPC barcode" (June 26, 1974)](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/june-26/barcode-scanner-invention-first-use), HISTORY
42. [Wikipedia — United Food and Commercial Workers (founding 1979, merger history)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Food_and_Commercial_Workers), Wikipedia
43. [All Over Albany — "That time Price Chopper was the first supermarket to install self-checkout" (1992)](http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2016/12/01/price-chopper-self-checkout-history), All Over Albany
44. [BLS TED — "Retail salespersons and cashiers were occupations with highest employment in May 2015"](https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/retail-salespersons-and-cashiers-were-occupations-with-highest-employment-in-may-2015.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
45. [Amazon Go — Wikipedia (January 22, 2018 public opening, Just Walk Out technology description)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Go), Wikipedia
46. [TechCrunch — "Amazon is closing its physical Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh stores" (January 27, 2026)](https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/amazon-is-closing-its-physical-amazon-go-and-amazon-fresh-stores/), TechCrunch

### Predecessors & successors

47. [National Inventors Hall of Fame — James Ritty (context of pre-register cashier role)](https://www.invent.org/inductees/james-ritty), National Inventors Hall of Fame
48. [Wikipedia — Self-checkout (historical context of department store cash messenger roles)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-checkout), Wikipedia

### Present-day analysis

- [Frey & Osborne 2013 — The Future of Employment: Cashiers 0.97 automation probability (second-highest in 702-occupation dataset)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), accessed 2026-05-28
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Cashiers: −10% projected employment 2023–2033 (faster than average decline)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/cashiers.htm), accessed 2026-05-28
- [BLS OEWS May 2024 — Cashiers: 3,313,880 employed, median annual wage $29,530](https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes412011.htm), accessed 2026-05-28
- [O\*NET 30.3 — Cashiers (41-2011.00): task list, knowledge, and skills](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/41-2011.00), accessed 2026-05-28
- [Reuters / CNN — Amazon closes 8 Amazon Go convenience stores in US; pivots Just Walk Out to licensing model (2023–2024)](https://www.reuters.com/technology/amazon-closing-all-its-amazon-go-convenience-stores-new-york-san-francisco-2023-03-03/), accessed 2026-05-28
- [Supermarket News / The Verge — Walmart, Costco, Dollar General limit self-checkout due to shrink; response is CV loss-prevention AI, not headcount restoration (2024–2025)](https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/costco-ends-self-checkout-for-large-orders), accessed 2026-05-28
- [NCR Voyix — Self-checkout installed base ~400,000 terminals in US; each handles 1.2–1.5 cashier-equivalent labor-hours without breaks (2024)](https://www.ncrvoyix.com/retail/self-checkout), accessed 2026-05-28
- [NRF National Retail Security Survey 2023 — Organized retail crime cost industry $112.1B in 2022; shrink as % of retail sales reached 1.6%; AI loss prevention and self-checkout management emerging as store operations priorities](https://nrf.com/research/national-retail-security-survey-2023), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Federal Reserve Financial Services — 2024 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice: cash driven by in-person shopping, older adults, and low-income households; credit and debit cards account for 60%+ of monthly payments](https://www.frbservices.org/news/research/2024-findings-from-the-diary-of-consumer-payment-choice), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science): Cashiers moderate LLM exposure (β signal distinct from Frey & Osborne hardware-automation signal)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-28
- [Pew Research Center — Technology Use Among Older Adults: 60% of adults 65+ rarely or never use mobile payment (2024)](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/01/31/older-adults-and-technology-use/), accessed 2026-05-28
- [Amazon — Just Walk Out Technology: cashierless ambient-intelligence checkout for convenience, grocery, and stadium formats (2024)](https://www.justwalkout.com/), accessed 2026-05-28
- [AiFi — Autonomous retail technology: camera-only cashierless stores deployed in grocery, convenience, and sports venues globally (2023)](https://www.aifi.com/), accessed 2026-05-28
- [Mashgin — AI-powered self-checkout: computer vision identifies items without barcodes in under 3 seconds; deployed in airports and stadiums (2024–2025)](https://www.mashgin.com/), accessed 2026-05-28
- [Standard Cognition — Autonomous checkout using ceiling-mounted cameras and computer vision; no barcodes, no kiosks (2022)](https://standard.ai/), accessed 2026-05-28

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.