Customer sales associate vs customer sales representative

The differences between customer sales associates and customer sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a customer sales associate and a customer sales representative. Additionally, a customer sales representative has an average salary of $38,744, which is higher than the $37,024 average annual salary of a customer sales associate.

The top three skills for a customer sales associate include sales floor, customer satisfaction and customer service. The most important skills for a customer sales representative are customer service, product knowledge, and customer sales.

Customer sales associate vs customer sales representative overview

	Customer Sales Associate	Customer Sales Representative
Yearly salary	$37,024	$38,744
Hourly rate	$17.80	$18.63
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	415,981	303,801
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	12	12

What does a customer sales associate do?

A customer sales associate specializes in handling and communicating with customers to secure sales in a retail store. Their primary responsibilities revolve around greeting clients, responding to inquiries, providing assistance, and even offering suggestions when necessary. Aside from ensuring customer satisfaction, it is also their responsibility to maintain the cleanliness and order on the sales floor by re-stocking shelves and arranging them to look presentable. Furthermore, a customer sales associate must coordinate with other sales floor members and report to a manager or supervisor.

What does a customer sales representative do?

The primary role of customer service representatives is to help customers with questions and complaints. It is also their duties and responsibilities to provide customers with information about services and products, take and process orders, and process returns and modifications. They also store records of customer transactions and interactions and provide feedback on customer service efficacy. Customer service representatives must also ensure that they can give customer satisfaction and offer the best professional support.

Customer sales associate vs customer sales representative salary

Customer sales associates and customer sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Customer Sales Associate	Customer Sales Representative
Average salary	$37,024	$38,744
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $49,000	Between $27,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	Odenton, MD	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	Maryland	Hawaii
Best paying company	Johnson Controls	Merck
Best paying industry	Real Estate	Finance

Differences between customer sales associate and customer sales representative education

There are a few differences between a customer sales associate and a customer sales representative in terms of educational background:

	Customer Sales Associate	Customer Sales Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Customer sales associate vs customer sales representative demographics

Here are the differences between customer sales associates' and customer sales representatives' demographics:

	Customer Sales Associate	Customer Sales Representative
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 50.6% Female, 49.4%	Male, 44.9% Female, 55.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 7.0% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 24.4% Asian, 6.8% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between customer sales associate and customer sales representative duties and responsibilities

Customer sales associate example responsibilities.

Manage cash balances and inventory stock accurately; ensure cleanliness of all work stations and guarantee excellent customer service.
Process merchandise information through store computer system, POS register system, and complete all require paperwork according to policy.
Used mobile POS systems to streamline the customer experience in order to drive full engagement throughout entire interaction with customer.
Provide above average service to customers by bagging groceries appropriately and assist with carryout and loading merchandise into customer's vehicle.
Recognize opportunities to up-sell and often take the opportunity to do so to create a better Marriott experience and event.

Customer sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage call center productivity levels by maintaining CSR schedule adherence.
Help customers if internet are running slow, if phone are not working, and also help to troubleshoot with them.
Practice good housekeeping methods and overall cleanliness.
Maintain cleanliness and organization of inventory within the assigned department.
Require to troubleshoot products and instruct customers on their proper use/warranty/options.
Work closely with sales director on scheduling, motivation of representations and setting up promotional events.

Customer sales associate vs customer sales representative skills

Common customer sales associate skills

Sales Floor, 12%
Customer Satisfaction, 9%
Customer Service, 9%
Product Knowledge, 8%
Outbound Calls, 8%
Customer Sales, 8%

Common customer sales representative skills

Customer Service, 19%
Product Knowledge, 13%
Customer Sales, 9%
Cleanliness, 8%
Excellent Interpersonal, 6%
Social Media Marketing, 5%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Customer Sales Associate
Customer Sales Associate vs Customer Sales Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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