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The differences between associate/team leads and sales associate/managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an associate/team lead and a sales associate/manager. Additionally, an associate/team lead has an average salary of $54,721, which is higher than the $41,412 average annual salary of a sales associate/manager.
The top three skills for an associate/team lead include excellent interpersonal, product knowledge and quality standards. The most important skills for a sales associate/manager are customer service, sales floor, and strong customer service.
| Associate/Team Lead | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $54,721 | $41,412 |
| Hourly rate | $26.31 | $19.91 |
| Growth rate | - | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 247,018 | 318,977 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An associate/team lead oversees the performance of team members while ensuring that clients get to receive optimal services. Their responsibilities typically include establishing guidelines and objectives, managing schedules, generating leads, performing market research and analysis, and developing strategies to optimize the daily operations. They may communicate with clients and assist them by identifying their needs, answering inquiries, and resolving issues and concerns. Moreover, as an associate/team lead, it is essential to guide and encourage staff to reach goals, all while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.
As the name entails, sales associates or associate managers are responsible for helping the store manager organize and run the retail stores. Their roles and responsibilities include ensuring that the store's goals are met by the sales team, hiring and training sales staff, and monitoring inventory. They are also expected to analyze consumer behavior, look for competitive products in the market, and communicate and evaluate clients' needs. To be qualified for this position, you should have experience as an assistant manager, organizational and leadership skills, and proficiency in MS Office.
Associate/team leads and sales associate/managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate/Team Lead | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Average salary | $54,721 | $41,412 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $104,000 | Between $30,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Salem, VA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Citi | |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an associate/team lead and a sales associate/manager in terms of educational background:
| Associate/Team Lead | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi |
Here are the differences between associate/team leads' and sales associate/managers' demographics:
| Associate/Team Lead | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2% | Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |