Working in retail offers more than customer interaction and product knowledge. Retail experience builds valuable skills, which can lead to high-paying roles in other industries. Whether you manage teams, handle customer inquiries, or solve problems under pressure, your retail background can open doors to new opportunities.
If you’re ready to transition from retail into a new career, here are several high-paying jobs with retail experience that will give you an edge over other aspiring applicants:
Option #1: Sales Representative
Sales representatives are the backbone of many companies. They are responsible for promoting and selling products or services to customers. The ability to understand customer needs, communicate effectively, and close deals makes this a natural transition for someone with retail experience. Retail workers are already familiar with product knowledge, upselling, and handling objections, which are essential skills in sales.
Why It’s a Good Fit
Sales careers for retail managers might seem unheard of, but that’s not always the case. In retail, you have likely honed your ability to listen to customers and solve their problems—two critical skills in sales. Additionally, your familiarity with hitting sales targets and driving customer satisfaction will give you an edge in this field.
Average Salary
Sales representatives can earn an average annual salary of around $62,000, but in industries like pharmaceuticals or tech, salaries can exceed six figures with commissions and bonuses.
Option #2: Store Manager or Area Manager
Store management is a natural progression for many people with retail experience. However, if you’re looking for a higher-paying alternative, becoming an area or district manager offers more substantial earnings. These roles involve overseeing multiple stores, managing store managers, and ensuring all locations meet sales targets and operational standards.
Why It’s a Good Fit
As a retail worker, you’ve likely been exposed to many facets of store operations, from staff training to inventory management. Moving into a management role enables you to take on more responsibility and use your leadership skills on a larger scale.
Average Salary
Store managers earn around $60,000 annually, but district or area managers can earn upwards of $90,000 to $120,000, depending on the size and performance of the stores they oversee.
Option #3: Customer Success Manager
A customer success manager (CSM) ensures that customers are satisfied with a company’s products or services post-sale, helping them get the most out of their purchase and solving any issues that arise. The role blends customer service, relationship building, and problem-solving, all of which are second nature to someone with retail experience.
Why It’s a Good Fit
Your retail experience has likely made you adept at handling customer complaints, assisting with inquiries, and fostering positive relationships. These skills will translate well into customer success, where the goal is to retain customers and drive loyalty.
Average Salary
Customer success managers often earn between $70,000 and $100,000 annually, with potential bonuses based on customer retention rates.
Option #4: Human Resources Manager
Human resources (HR) managers are responsible for recruiting, hiring, training, and managing employees within a company. In retail, you may have already had experience onboarding new team members, resolving staff disputes, and scheduling shifts, all of which are valuable skills in HR management.
Why It’s a Good Fit
Many retail workers already manage a team or participate in hiring processes, giving them a head start in HR. You understand the dynamics of workforce management and employee satisfaction, both of which are necessary in HR.
Average Salary
HR managers may earn between $80,000 and $120,000 annually, with higher salaries available in larger organizations or specialized industries.
Option #5: Marketing Manager
If you have experience in retail merchandising, promotions, or even managing social media for your store, transitioning into marketing could be a natural step. Marketing managers are responsible for developing and executing strategies to promote products or services through digital channels, events, or traditional advertising.
Why It’s a Good Fit
Your retail background gives you insight into consumer behavior, which is crucial for marketing roles. You understand what drives customer decisions and can use this knowledge to create more effective marketing campaigns.
Average Salary
Marketing managers earn an average salary of $100,000 per year, with higher earnings possible in competitive industries like tech or finance.
Option #6: Operations Manager
Operations managers are tasked with efficiently running the day-to-day operations of a business. In retail, you’ve likely dealt with managing inventory, coordinating supply chains, and optimizing store layouts, which are key skills for operations management roles in other sectors.
Why It’s a Good Fit
Your experience balancing multiple tasks and ensuring smooth operations within a retail environment will serve you well in an operations management role. You already understand how to streamline processes and manage resources effectively.
Average Salary
Operations managers typically earn between $70,000 and $120,000, with the potential for even higher salaries in large companies or industries like manufacturing and logistics.
Option #7: Real Estate Agent
Transitioning to real estate could make a lot of sense, especially when you enjoy interacting with people and have a knack for sales. Real estate agents help clients buy, sell, or rent properties, using negotiation and communication skills to close deals. A career in real estate offers flexibility and the potential for significant financial rewards based on commission.
Why It’s a Good Fit
Retail employees often develop strong sales and customer service skills, which are directly applicable to real estate. Your ability to build rapport with clients and guide them through decision-making will make you a successful real estate agent.
Average Salary
Although the average salary for real estate agents varies widely depending on location and the market, top agents can earn over $100,000 annually, with commissions often accounting for a significant portion of income.
Option #8: Supply Chain Analyst
You may find a rewarding career as a supply chain analyst if you have had plenty of experience managing inventory and coordinating deliveries in retail. Supply chain analysts are responsible for improving efficiency in the movement of goods from suppliers to customers by making sure everything arrives on time and within budget.
Why It’s a Good Fit
Retail workers know the importance of keeping inventory levels balanced and ensuring product availability for customers. These skills make the transition to supply chain management or analysis smoother, especially when combined with an eye for detail and problem-solving.
Average Salary
Supply chain analysts earn between $65,000 and $95,000 annually, with salaries often higher in industries like manufacturing, logistics, or pharmaceuticals.
Option #9: Training and Development Specialist
If you’ve worked in retail, chances are you’ve helped onboard new employees, trained staff on product knowledge, or guided coworkers on company policies and procedures. These experiences align well with the responsibilities of a training specialist, making it one of the best high-paying jobs with retail experience.
Why It’s a Good Fit
Your ability to train new employees and promote continuous learning within a retail environment makes this role a natural fit. In most cases, you already understand how to convey information effectively, tailor training to individual needs, and foster a positive learning environment.
Average Salary
These specialists earn between $60,000 and $85,000 yearly. In larger companies or specialized industries, salaries can exceed $90,000, especially with additional experience or certifications.
Option #10: Account Manager
Account managers act as the liaison between a company and its clients, ensuring customer needs are met while fostering long-term relationships. They manage key accounts, address concerns, and identify opportunities to upsell or cross-sell products and services. Retail employees often excel in customer interaction, conflict resolution, and product presentation.
Why It’s a Good Fit
Your retail experience has likely given you insight into handling all types of customers, solving problems quickly, and delivering excellent service. These transferable skills will help you build trust with clients, manage expectations, and drive client satisfaction as an account manager.
Average Salary
Account managers earn an average salary of $70,000 per year. In high-demand sectors like technology, finance, or consulting, salaries can exceed $100,000, often with bonuses or commission structures based on performance.
Final Thoughts
Transitioning out of retail doesn’t mean you must leave behind the skills you’ve developed. Many high-paying jobs value customer service, sales, and operational expertise from retail experience. So, whether you’re looking to stay in a customer-facing role like sales or transition into something more analytical like supply chain management, your background in retail has likely prepared you for success. Take the time to evaluate where your strengths lie and explore the career options that will make the most of your retail experience.
Discover New Opportunities
If you need guidance on how to transition from retail to sales, we at QZ Solutions are here to help. Our team empowers professionals like you to leverage your retail experience and identify new career opportunities. From personalized coaching to practical job search strategies, we’ll equip you with the tools and confidence to make a smooth and successful career shift.
Whether you’re aiming for a leadership role, sales position, or business development, QZ Solutions is committed to helping you take the next step toward a rewarding future.
