Associate vs floor associate

The differences between associates and floor 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 $27,757 average annual salary of a floor associate.

The top three skills for an associate include customer service, sales floor and patients. The most important skills for a floor associate are sales floor, stock shelves, and customer service.

Associate vs floor associate overview

	Associate	Floor Associate
Yearly salary	$69,556	$27,757
Hourly rate	$33.44	$13.34
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	569,041	241,665
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	High School Diploma, 44%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

What does an associate do?

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.

What does a floor associate do?

A sales floor associate is an employee who is responsible for providing excellent service to customers who come to shop at the company's store. Sale floor associates must be well-informed about their products and locations within the store. When there is no customer help, sale floor associates should restock shelves and racks, clean the fitting rooms, and handle returns efficiently. They also should possess excellent abilities, especially in communication and selling techniques.

Associate vs floor associate salary

Associates and floor associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Associate	Floor Associate
Average salary	$69,556	$27,757
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $140,000	Between $22,000 And $34,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	-
Highest paying state	New York	-
Best paying company	Simpson Thacher & Bartlett	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between associate and floor associate education

There are a few differences between an associate and a floor associate in terms of educational background:

	Associate	Floor Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	High School Diploma, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Associate vs floor associate demographics

Here are the differences between associates' and floor associates' demographics:

	Associate	Floor Associate
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6%	Male, 45.7% Female, 54.3%
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, 10.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 6.3% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between associate and floor associate duties and responsibilities

Associate example responsibilities.

Manage the sale of smoothies at different educational institutes while interacting with hundreds of students and ensuring their happiness and satisfaction.
Manage customer resolutions associate with flight reservations.
Lead the team by exemplify reliability through punctuality and personal integrity.
Help drive sales by providing excellent customer service in gourmet cheese, wine, beer, and coffee departments.
Utilize teamwork, communication, customer service, responsibility, and organizational skills.
Work according to ISO standards.

Floor associate example responsibilities.

Supervise women's department, manage jewelry department, assist customers on finalizing purchases
Assist customers with packaging of their groceries.
Arrange groceries in a helpful and efficient manner to satisfy all the customers' needs and requirements within the store
Execute grain futures orders for special accounts that require extraordinary attention to detail as well as personalized service.
Place special orders over the phone with companies contract by Walmart.

Associate vs floor associate skills

Common associate skills

Customer Service, 16%
Sales Floor, 13%
Patients, 10%
Cleanliness, 8%
Windows, 4%
HR, 4%

Common floor associate skills

Sales Floor, 27%
Stock Shelves, 26%
Customer Service, 5%
Product Knowledge, 5%
Pallet Jack, 4%
POS, 4%

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Associate vs Floor Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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