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The differences between associates and customer service retail associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an associate has an average salary of $69,556, which is higher than the $30,002 average annual salary of a customer service retail associate.
The top three skills for an associate include customer service, sales floor and patients. The most important skills for a customer service retail associate are POS, customer service, and customer orders.
| Associate | Customer Service Retail Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $69,556 | $30,002 |
| Hourly rate | $33.44 | $14.42 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 569,041 | 580,336 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Associates are typically entry-level positions for employees who are taking on their first job or organizational role. They are assigned to teams or departments that are related to their skills or educational background. They usually start with smaller tasks that may not seem as impactful but are still essential to the department. Associates are trained by more tenured team members on the ins and outs of the department and the organization. As they grow with the organization, they are given more responsibilities that directly impact the results of the department's initiatives as they work towards their goals.
A customer service retail associate is responsible for providing the highest customer service for the store's customers by responding to their inquiries and concerns and recommending them goods and services that would fit their needs. Customer service retail associates support the marketing campaigns and promotional strategies of the store by offering and demonstrating products to the customers, as well as arranging stock displays, and monitoring the adequacy of inventories. They also escalate high-level complaints to management for immediate resolution and assist with product replacement and issuing refunds as needed.
Associates and customer service retail associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate | Customer Service Retail Associate | |
| Average salary | $69,556 | $30,002 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $140,000 | Between $23,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Bellevue, WA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | Tractor Supply |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between an associate and a customer service retail associate in terms of educational background:
| Associate | Customer Service Retail Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between associates' and customer service retail associates' demographics:
| Associate | Customer Service Retail Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6% | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 6.5% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |