24+ Pros and Cons of Being a Cashier (Explained)

A cashier handles the cash register at various locations such as being a point of sale in a retail store. He receives and pays out money in a shop, bank, restaurant, etc.

Though the position is in retail, this job title is also used in the context of accountancy for the person responsible for receiving and disbursing money or within branch banking.

Advantages of being a cashier	Disadvantages of being a cashier
Scheduling Flexibility	Are replaceable
Customer Interaction	Many posts will cease to exist
Perks	Do not make good money
Advancement Opportunities	Tight budget life and stress
Social Skills	Overweight
Stability	May have to work on the weekend
Multitasking	Risk of robbery
No degree is required	Can be boring in the long run

Advantages of being a cashier

Scheduling Flexibility

As cashiers work in retail and other businesses that cater to the public, they usually have a lot of scheduling flexibility. College students or even high school can fit their work schedule around their class schedule by working evenings and weekends.

Big retailers that are open around the clock provide opportunities for cashiers who want or need to work during the overnight hours.

Customer Interaction

The cashier enjoys interacting with the public. Along with engaging in conversation with customers while ringing up their purchases, cashiers serve in a customer service capacity by answering questions and helping resolve complaints.

In busy hours, cashiers often experience a steady flow of customers through their line, which can make the workday move quickly.

Perks

Few cashiers working for larger retailers have access to fringe benefits even when employed on a part-time basis.

Some are eligible for dental and health insurance after a certain amount of time on the job. Permanent cashiers are eligible for an expanded benefits program, including a retirement plan and paid vacation.

Advancement Opportunities

Their role often leads to advancement opportunities. A cashier in a retail environment can serve as a stepping stone to sales, customer service, or even management positions.

For promotion, cashiers should be able to demonstrate responsibility and strong people skills.

A cashier deals with people one on one. They solve problems, complete requests, clarify issues and work with other employees. Therefore communication and social skills develop.

Stability

There is always a need for retail associates even in times of economic turmoil. The skills one learns as a cashier are transferable to other customer-service positions, such as working in a customer support call center.

A cashier thus has a fairly stable level of job security, though may occasionally need to switch employers as the market fluctuates.

Multitasking

Cashiers often have to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. They might complete a transaction or check inventory on the computer while answering the store phone.

This ability to multitask translates to greater efficiency in virtually any job one might take in the future and in personal life. In the business world, this ability and the resultant efficiency sometimes mean promotions or pay raises.

No degree is required

There is no formal education requirement for cashiers. Though for full-time positions, employers often prefer candidates with high school diplomas, high school students and others without degrees may find part-time employment. Many entry-level cashiers are trained on the job by experienced cashiers.

Disadvantages of being a cashier

Are replaceable

A cashier will just be replaceable pretty easily. As they do not require any special qualifications for working as a cashier, almost everyone out there can do the job and this means that one will have plenty of competition.

Any employer, if has any issue can just fire and replace with someone he likes more or someone who just demands a lower wage.

Many posts will cease to exist

The job prospects for cashiers are not only rather bad but will become worse in the future. People are using alternate payment methods.

They are safer and the chances of robbery, theft, or error in counting are less. As technology progresses, many will just lose jobs in the future as they will be replaced by machines.

Don’t make good money

One should also not expect to make a fortune as a cashier. As so many people can do the job and the barriers to entry are quite low, there is a huge supply of workers who want to make money in this field. Owners tend to lower their cost. Therefore, wages are often quite low.

Tight budget life and stress

Because of the financial issues, it will also be pretty hard to plan. One can never be certain what the future has in mind for him.

One will also not be able to make any long-term commitments as a cashier and also banks will likely not lend money to buy a home. A cashier is at risk of being robbed, error in counting, counterfeit currency.

Though people will often appreciate work, a cashier will just not be admired the same way as people who work in jobs where they can save lives. Moreover, one’s own family may not understand why one wants to become a cashier and may do everything to lead to a different career path.

Overweight

All cashiers sit behind their registers all day long. Therefore, they don’t get any physical exercise during their workday and in case they don’t go to the gym or do some other workout, chances are that they will suffer from being overweight or obese sooner or later.

May have to work on weekends

Cashiers do not have regular workweeks as most other people do. They will often have to work on weekends as a cashier and this can be really annoying since they will often not be able to make nice weekend trips with family or to meet up with friends during those times.

Risk of robbery

All cashiers are under the constant threat of being robbed because they handle money. Cashiers who try to be heroic and save money may end up getting hurt or worse, getting killed.

Though in practice it is advised that a cashier under attack hands over the money immediately, and when the assailant leaves Cashiers need to be observant to be able to provide accurate information to the police should their establishment be robbed.

Can be boring in the long run

Working as a cashier can become boring in the long run. Though initial years as a cashier may be exciting since everything is new, this initial excitement will go away quite soon and may be replaced with boredom sooner or later.

Most cashiers think about quitting their jobs due to this. As cashiers will not learn that many hard skills, chances are that they will have a hard time switching fields and going for a new career.