Saskatchewan JobFutures

Nature of Work

Cashiers record and receive payment from customers for the purchase of goods, services and admission. They work in stores, restaurants, theatres, business offices and other retail and wholesale establishments.

Nature of Work

Cashiers record and receive payment from customers for the purchase of goods, services and admission. They work in stores, restaurants, theatres, business offices and other retail and wholesale establishments.

Duties

Cashiers are generally responsible for providing information to customers, wrapping or placing merchandise in bags, and receiving payment by cash, cheque, credit card or automatic debit. They also establish or identify the price of goods, services or admission and tabulate bills using a calculator, cash register or optical price scanner. Cashiers are also responsible for calculating the total payments received at the end of their work shift and for reconciling payment sales totals.

Example Titles

• race track cashier
• theatre cashier
• self-serve gas bar cashier
• grocery store cashier
• cafeteria cashier
• office cashier
• box office cashier

Training Paths

There are no post-secondary education or skills training programs for this occupation in Saskatchewan. Most cashiers receive on-the-job training.

Trends and Outlooks

The employment prospects for this occupation are: good

The number of cashiers in Saskatchewan increased by nearly 15% between 2000 and 2005, according to Statistics Canada. This translates into more than 1,000 new jobs in just five years. This is not surprising, considering the province's overall economic growth during this period. Whether or not this rate of growth continues, this remains a large occupation in Saskatchewan. Consequently, there will be numerous employment opportunities in Saskatchewan for cashiers in the next few years, particularly due to turnover in the trade industry. Just 21% of all cashiers in the province were older than 45 in 2006, so retirement will not generate many opportunities in the coming years.

Cashiers are not highly well paid in Saskatchewan. In 2005, the average full-time income for this occupation was $19,300 per year, well below the provincial full-time average for all occupations the same year ($42,300 per year). Even the highest paid cashiers in Saskatchewan do not earn very much. Annual incomes for cashiers in 2005 ranged from $9,000 to $36,900. Annual incomes for cashiers tend to be slightly higher in Regina and Saskatoon than elsewhere in the province.

In 2006, 87% of all Saskatchewan cashiers were women. Employment in this field is distributed evenly throughout the province; over 50% of all cashiers in the province worked outside Regina and Saskatoon in 2006. Only 20% of all Saskatchewan cashiers were employed on a full-time basis in 2005. While not unheard of, self-employment is rare among cashiers. Employment in this field is moderately sensitive to overall economic conditions but generally not seasonal. Electronic scanning systems are fast becoming standardized in this field of work. Consequently, the duties performed by most cashiers have changed. Most employers provide training on the job.

Professional Associations

Related Occupations

• Retail Salespersons and Sales Clerks (6421)
• Service Station Attendants (6621)
• Tellers, Financial Services (1433)
• Head cashiers (in 6211 Retail Trade Supervisors)