6 free templates for retail, automotive, financial, and inside sales roles, each with the FLSA classification and commission guidance the generic templates skip. Download as DOCX.
A sales advisor helps customers find the right product and closes the sale. It sounds simple, but hiring one well is not, because the title covers several very different jobs. A retail sales advisor works a store floor, an automotive advisor runs test drives, a financial advisor sells within licensing rules, and an inside advisor sells by phone. The pay is almost always base plus commission, and the FLSA classification decides whether you owe overtime. Those are exactly the points generic templates skip.
These six templates cover the role across its settings: a general baseline, retail, automotive or dealership, financial or insurance, inside or remote, and senior or lead. Each is ready to use, with the FLSA and commission guidance the generic templates leave out. For the fundamentals behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description is a useful companion.
TL;DR
A sales advisor advises customers and closes sales, almost always on a base plus commission pay plan. The title spans retail, automotive, financial, inside, and senior roles, most of them non-exempt under the FLSA. The closest federal proxy, retail salespersons, reports a median of $16.62 an hour, but commission can push total pay much higher. The big compliance point is the Section 7(i) commission overtime exemption, which no competitor template covers. Download six templates as DOCX, by setting.
What a Sales Advisor Does
A sales advisor guides customers to the right product and closes the sale. The work is customer-facing and goal-oriented: identify needs, explain features and pricing, recommend products, process the sale, and follow up to earn repeat business. Most sales advisors are paid a base plus commission, which makes the pay plan and the FLSA classification central to the role.
The title has no single federal occupation code, and it carries a notable quirk: sales advisor is the standard retail title in the UK and Commonwealth, while US employers use it across retail, automotive, and financial settings. The closest US proxy for a retail advisor is retail salespersons (41-2031), with overlap into sales representatives for B2B and inside roles. Because the title means different jobs in different settings, the templates here are organized by the kind of advisor you are hiring.
Retail, Automotive, Financial, and Inside
Sales advisor means materially different jobs depending on what is being sold and where. Getting the type right keeps your posting accurate and attracts candidates who fit the actual role and pay plan.
Type
Setting
What changes
General
Any small business
Baseline advise-and-close duties
Retail
Shops, electronics, furniture
POS, returns, floor, shift work
Automotive
Car, RV, powersports dealers
Test drives, F&I handoff, draw
Financial / insurance
Agencies, brokerages, banks
Licensing, suitability, compliance
Inside / remote
SaaS, ecommerce, telecom
Phone and chat, CRM quota, KPIs
Senior / lead
Any setting
Mentoring plus own sales goals
The general, retail, and senior versions are closely related floor roles. Automotive adds the F&I handoff and a draw, financial adds licensing and compliance, and inside or remote shifts the channel to phone and chat. Match the template to your setting and pay plan.
Duties and Responsibilities
Sales advisor duties cluster into four areas: selling and advising, targets and follow-up, product and floor, and pay and classification. A strong job description picks the specific responsibilities that match your setting, rather than listing every possible task.
Selling and advising
Identify customer needs and recommend products
Explain features, benefits, and pricing
Close sales and process transactions
Targets and follow-up
Meet or exceed individual sales goals
Follow up on leads and build relationships
Track results in the CRM or POS
Product and floor
Stay current on products and promotions
Maintain merchandising and a clean area
Handle returns and exchanges where applicable
Pay and classification
Work a base plus commission structure
Confirm FLSA exempt or non-exempt by duties
Track hours for any overtime owed
A retail advisor weights toward floor and POS work; a financial advisor toward needs analysis and compliance. For a structured way to scope the role, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by setting. The core structure is the same across all six, but each emphasizes the duties, pay plan, and framing that fit a specific kind of advisor. Use this guide to choose the closest fit, then adjust.
General / Baseline
The flagship version
The core version for any business unsure of the exact flavor: advise customers, hit sales goals, and deliver a good buying experience. The most common starting point.
Retail Sales Advisor
Shops, boutiques, electronics
For a store: floor coverage, POS and returns, merchandising, and shift work, with the non-exempt and commission framing retail roles need.
Automotive / Dealership
Car, RV, powersports dealers
For a dealership: test drives, F&I handoff, CRM follow-up, and the commission or draw pay plan that defines auto sales.
Financial / Insurance
Agencies, brokerages, banks
For advice-based selling: needs analysis, suitability and compliance, licensing (Series 6/7/63, Life & Health), and exempt-status considerations.
Inside / Remote
SaaS, ecommerce, telecom
For phone, email, and chat sales: CRM pipeline, quota and KPIs, remote logistics, and the non-exempt-by-default classification warning.
Senior / Lead
Top performer, team guide
For an experienced advisor who mentors the team and handles escalations alongside their own goals, without full management authority.
Match the Template to the Setting
A small business unsure of the flavor: General / Baseline. A store or boutique: Retail. A car, RV, or powersports dealer: Automotive / Dealership. An agency, brokerage, or bank: Financial / Insurance. Phone, email, or chat selling: Inside / Remote. An experienced advisor who mentors the team: Senior / Lead. When unsure, the General version is the baseline to adapt.
6 Free Sales Advisor Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: company and job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, and how to apply, with an EEO statement and the base-plus-commission and classification points built in. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 6 Job Description Templates
General, retail, automotive, financial, inside, and senior. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: General / Baseline (Flagship)
The core version for any business unsure of the exact flavor: advise customers, hit sales goals, and deliver a good buying experience. The most common starting point.
FLSA status: [ ] Non-exempt (hourly) [ ] Confirm by duties and pay plan
Compensation: $_____ base or draw, plus commission
JOB SUMMARY
[Dealership Name] is hiring a Sales Advisor to sell vehicles and guide
customers through the buying process. You will greet buyers, qualify needs,
present and demonstrate vehicles, conduct test drives, present pricing and
financing options, and hand off to F&I to close. This is a goal-driven,
commission-based role.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Greet and qualify customers on the lot and showroom
•Present and demonstrate vehicles and conduct test drives
•Explain features, options, pricing, and financing
•Hand off qualified buyers to the F&I office
•Follow up on leads using the dealership CRM
•Maintain product and inventory knowledge
•Meet monthly sales and gross targets
•Follow dealership and licensing requirements where applicable
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•High school diploma or equivalent
•Sales drive and strong communication skills
•Valid driver's license and clean driving record
•Automotive or commission sales experience a plus
•Comfortable with a CRM and follow-up process
•A sales license where your state requires one
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Pay: $_____ base or draw, plus commission, per the pay plan
Classification: Confirm by duties and pay plan; commissioned roles may qualify for an exemption
To apply, send your resume to __.
[Dealership Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 4: Financial / Insurance Sales Advisor
For advice-based selling: needs analysis, suitability and compliance, licensing such as Series 6, 7, or 63 or Life and Health, and exempt-status considerations.
Compensation: $_____ per hour or base, plus commission
JOB SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring a Senior / Lead Sales Advisor to drive top sales
results and help guide the team. Alongside your own sales goals, you will
mentor newer advisors, model best practices, handle escalated customers, and
support the manager on the floor, without full management authority.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Meet and exceed your own sales goals
•Mentor and coach newer sales advisors
•Model product knowledge and selling best practices
•Handle escalated or complex customer situations
•Support the manager with floor coverage and opening or closing
•Help train new hires on products and process
•Track and share results and feedback
•Maintain high service and merchandising standards
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•High school diploma or equivalent
•Proven track record in sales
•Strong leadership and coaching ability
•Excellent product knowledge and customer service
•Reliable, organized, and team-oriented
•[2]+ years of sales experience preferred
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Pay: $_____ per hour or base, plus commission
Classification: Confirm by duties; a lead without true management authority is usually non-exempt
To apply, send your resume to __.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
FLSA, Section 7(i), and Pay
This is the part the generic templates skip, and it is the part that protects a small employer: the FLSA classification, the Section 7(i) commission overtime exemption, pay-range and commission disclosure, and the licensing that financial and insurance roles require. Get these right and your posting is both compliant and attractive to commission-driven candidates.
Section 7(i): the commission overtime exemption no template covers
The most important and most-skipped point for a commissioned sales role is the FLSA Section 7(i) overtime exemption for retail and service establishments. Per US DOL Fact Sheet 20, it applies only when all three conditions are met: the employee works for a retail or service establishment, meaning one where at least 75 percent of annual dollar volume of sales is not for resale; the employee's regular rate of pay exceeds one and one-half times the applicable minimum wage, roughly 10.88 dollars an hour against the federal minimum; and more than half the employee's earnings in a representative period come from commissions. Unless all three are met, overtime is owed at time and one-half over 40 hours. Job title does not control, so confirm by the actual pay plan and duties. This is general information, not legal advice.
FLSA: most sales advisors are non-exempt
By default, a customer-facing or inside sales advisor is non-exempt and entitled to overtime at one and a half times the regular rate over 40 hours in a workweek. The outside sales exemption applies only to employees who customarily work away from the employer's place of business, which does not fit floor retail or inside sales. The Section 7(i) exemption can apply to commissioned retail and service roles, but only when its three conditions are met. Inside and remote sales are generally non-exempt regardless of commission. The safe default is to classify as non-exempt and track hours, then apply an exemption only after confirming it fits. This is general information, not legal advice.
Pay transparency and commission disclosure
A growing number of states and cities require employers to include a pay range in job postings, and several require disclosing the basis for commission or bonus pay. For a sales advisor role where commission is central, state the base, the commission structure, and any realistic on-target earnings clearly. Beyond legal requirements, transparent pay attracts better candidates for a commission role, where applicants want to understand earning potential before applying. Check your state and local rules, since they change, and apply the strictest one that covers your posting. This is general information, not legal advice.
Licensing for financial and insurance advisors
If you are hiring a financial or insurance sales advisor, the role usually requires a license that a general retail advisor does not. Insurance sales typically need a state Life and Health or Property and Casualty license; securities sales need FINRA registration such as the Series 6 or Series 7, often with a Series 63. These licenses, plus continuing education, are a real onboarding and tracking obligation. State the required licenses in the posting, decide whether you will hire licensed candidates or sponsor licensing, and build license and CE tracking into onboarding so nothing lapses. This is general information, not legal advice.
The Section 7(i) Three-Part Test
Per US DOL Fact Sheet 20, a commissioned retail or service employee is exempt from overtime only when all three hold: a retail or service establishment (75 percent of sales not for resale), a regular rate above one and one-half times the minimum wage (about $10.88 an hour federally), and more than half of earnings from commissions. Miss any one and overtime is owed over 40 hours. This is general information, not legal advice.
Sales advisors are hired for communication, drive, and product fit more than formal credentials. Scale the requirements to the setting and pay plan.
Requirement
What to look for
Education
High school diploma; bachelor's preferred for financial roles
Communication
Strong rapport, listening, and explaining skills
Drive
Goal-oriented and motivated by commission
Experience
Sales or customer service a plus; training provided
License
Series or insurance license for financial roles; auto license where required
Classification
Usually non-exempt; confirm exemption by duties and pay plan
Keep the posting neutral and inclusive, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on a protected characteristic, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description.
Sales Advisor Pay
Sales advisors are usually paid a base plus commission, so total pay varies widely by industry and performance. Set your base using government data, then layer the commission structure your industry expects.
Median $16.62 an Hour (Closest BLS Proxy)
The title has no single federal code; the closest proxy for a retail advisor, retail salespersons, had a median hourly wage of $16.62 in May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent under $12.31 and the top 10 percent over $23.05. The broader sales occupations group had a median of $37,460 a year. Commission can push total pay well above these figures in automotive and financial roles.
Because commission drives total pay, benchmark the base to your industry and state the commission structure and any on-target earnings in the posting. For a commission-heavy role, candidates want to understand earning potential before applying, so transparency attracts a stronger pool.
Hiring for a Small Business
A national retailer hires sales advisors through a full HR and recruiting team. An independent store, a small dealership, an insurance agency, or a small inside-sales team does not. The owner or a sales manager writes the posting, screens applicants, sets the pay plan, and onboards the new advisor directly. The classification and commission obligations are the same as for a large employer.
Same Pay Rules, Smaller Team
A small business carries the same FLSA classification and commission obligations as a national retailer, just handled by fewer people, so a clean, repeatable hiring and onboarding process is worth setting up once. That is where FirstHR fits: e-signature for the offer letter and pay plan, an AI onboarding wizard and task workflows for the fast product, CRM, and POS training a sales role needs, training modules for product knowledge, document management to store and track any licenses and continuing education, and an HRIS and org chart to slot the new advisor onto the sales team. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a payroll, commission, or POS system, so pair it with those providers. Applicant tracking is coming soon.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a candidate accepts, the same document becomes the basis for the offer and a sales-specific onboarding. Because sales advisors get up to speed on product, CRM, and process quickly and earn on commission, getting the offer, the pay plan, and the first-90-days targets right from day one matters.
Send the offer with the pay plan
Confirm the base, commission structure, and classification in writing, with an offer letter the new advisor can e-sign before day one.
Train on product and CRM fast
Sales advisors get up to speed on product knowledge, the CRM or POS, and the sales process quickly, so a structured first-week plan pays off immediately.
Set 30-60-90 day goals
Define clear targets for the first 30, 60, and 90 days so a new advisor knows what good looks like and when commission should kick in.
Track licenses and records
For financial, insurance, or auto roles, store and track licenses and continuing education, plus the signed offer and onboarding documents.
Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, and an onboarding template gives the new hire a structured start. FirstHR connects the offer, e-signature, product and CRM training, the onboarding workflow, and document management for licenses in one place so a small business can manage the full process from one system. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a payroll, commission, or POS tool, so connect those separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
Sales advisor is an umbrella title spanning retail, automotive, financial, inside, and senior roles, each with a different pay plan.
Use the template that matches the setting; the general version is the baseline most small businesses adapt.
Most sales advisors are non-exempt; the closest federal proxy, retail salespersons, reports a median of $16.62 an hour, with commission on top.
The Section 7(i) commission overtime exemption applies only when all three of its conditions are met, and no competitor template covers it.
Financial and insurance advisor roles usually require a license; build license and continuing-education tracking into onboarding.
State the base, commission structure, and any on-target earnings clearly, since commission drives the role and attracts candidates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a sales advisor do?
A sales advisor helps customers find and buy the products that best fit their needs, then closes the sale. Day to day that means greeting customers, identifying what they need, explaining features, benefits, and pricing, recommending suitable products, processing transactions, and following up to build repeat business. The exact work depends on the setting: a retail sales advisor works the floor with a point-of-sale system, an automotive sales advisor runs test drives and hands off to finance, a financial or insurance sales advisor does needs analysis and works within licensing and compliance rules, and an inside or remote sales advisor sells by phone, email, and chat against a quota. Across settings, the role is customer-facing, goal-oriented, and usually paid a base plus commission. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is sales advisor the same as sales associate or sales representative?
They overlap, and the titles are often used interchangeably, but with differences in emphasis and region. Sales advisor is the standard customer-facing retail title in the UK and Commonwealth, and in the US it is used in retail, automotive, and financial settings, often implying a more consultative, advice-based sale. Sales associate is the more common US retail term for the same floor role. Sales representative usually means a business-to-business or outside seller who calls on accounts rather than working a store floor. For hiring, the practical move is to pick the title your candidates actually search and describe the duties clearly, since the title alone does not define the job. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is a sales advisor exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
Most sales advisors are non-exempt and entitled to overtime at one and a half times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. The outside sales exemption applies only to employees who customarily work away from the employer's place of business, which does not fit floor retail or inside sales. For commissioned retail and service roles, the Section 7(i) exemption can apply, but only when all three of its conditions are met: a retail or service establishment, a regular rate above one and one-half times the minimum wage, and more than half of earnings from commissions. Inside and remote sales advisors are generally non-exempt regardless of commission. The safe default is to classify as non-exempt, track hours, and apply an exemption only after confirming it fits the actual duties and pay plan. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the Section 7(i) commission overtime exemption?
Section 7(i) of the Fair Labor Standards Act is an overtime exemption for commissioned employees of retail and service establishments. Per US DOL Fact Sheet 20, it applies only when all three conditions are met: the employee works for a retail or service establishment, defined as one where at least 75 percent of annual dollar volume of sales is not for resale; the employee's regular rate of pay exceeds one and one-half times the applicable minimum wage, which is roughly 10.88 dollars an hour against the federal minimum; and more than half the employee's total earnings in a representative period of one to twelve months come from commissions. If any condition is not met, overtime is owed at time and one-half for hours over 40. The employer carries the burden of proving all three, and job title does not control. This is general information, not legal advice.
Does a sales advisor need to be licensed?
It depends entirely on what they sell. A general retail or inside sales advisor needs no license, just product knowledge and sales skill. An automotive sales advisor needs a license in some states, which regulate vehicle salespeople. A financial or insurance sales advisor usually does need a license: insurance sales typically require a state Life and Health or Property and Casualty license, and securities sales require FINRA registration such as a Series 6 or Series 7, often paired with a Series 63. These licenses come with continuing education. For a posting, state any required license clearly, decide whether you will hire already-licensed candidates or sponsor licensing, and plan to track licenses and renewals during employment. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does a sales advisor make?
Sales advisors are usually paid a base plus commission, so total pay varies widely by industry and performance. There is no single federal occupation code for the title; the closest proxy for a retail advisor is retail salespersons, which reported a median hourly wage of 16.62 dollars in May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent under 12.31 dollars and the top 10 percent over 23.05 dollars. The broader sales occupations group had a median of 37,460 dollars a year. Commission can push total pay well above base in automotive, financial, and high-ticket retail roles, while inside and entry retail roles cluster nearer the base. For a posting, benchmark to your industry and local market, state the base and commission structure, and include any on-target earnings. This is general information, not compensation advice.
Do small businesses hire sales advisors?
Yes, constantly. Independent stores, boutiques, electronics and furniture shops, small auto dealers, insurance and financial agencies, and small inside-sales teams all hire sales advisors directly. At a small business the owner or a sales manager writes the posting, screens applicants, and onboards the new advisor, often between everything else. The commission structure and FLSA classification are the same legal obligations a large retailer faces, just handled by a smaller team. Because sales advisors carry a base-plus-commission pay plan, getting the offer, the classification, and the onboarding right from day one matters more than for a flat-salary role. A clean, repeatable hiring and onboarding process is worth setting up once. This is general information, not legal advice.
What should a sales advisor job description include?
Start with the setting and emphasis: general, retail, automotive, financial or insurance, inside or remote, or senior, since each shifts the duties and the pay plan. Include a short company summary, a job summary naming the advise-and-close focus, and responsibilities grouped into selling and advising, targets and follow-up, product and floor, and pay and classification. State the requirements, usually a high school diploma plus communication skills, with any license the role needs. Set the base-plus-commission compensation and the FLSA classification clearly. The most valuable additions that generic templates skip are the FLSA non-exempt default, the Section 7(i) commission exemption rules, pay-range and commission disclosure, and any licensing for financial or insurance roles. Close with an equal opportunity statement and apply instructions. This is general information, not legal advice.
