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The differences between customer sales specialists and customer sales associates 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 specialist and a customer sales associate. Additionally, a customer sales specialist has an average salary of $44,173, which is higher than the $37,024 average annual salary of a customer sales associate.
The top three skills for a customer sales specialist include product knowledge, sales floor and customer service. The most important skills for a customer sales associate are sales floor, customer satisfaction, and customer service.
| Customer Sales Specialist | Customer Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $44,173 | $37,024 |
| Hourly rate | $21.24 | $17.80 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 417,148 | 415,981 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A customer sales specialist aims to secure sales and reach sales targets. To make this possible, they conduct extensive market research and analysis, generate leads for clients and business opportunities, develop sales pitches, create marketing materials and strategies, and reach out to clients to offer services and products. In some businesses, a customer sales specialist may also engage directly with customers to demonstrate products or to assist them with their needs.
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.
Customer sales specialists and customer sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Customer Sales Specialist | Customer Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $44,173 | $37,024 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $55,000 | Between $27,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Odenton, MD |
| Highest paying state | - | Maryland |
| Best paying company | - | Johnson Controls |
| Best paying industry | - | Real Estate |
There are a few differences between a customer sales specialist and a customer sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Customer Sales Specialist | Customer Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between customer sales specialists' and customer sales associates' demographics:
| Customer Sales Specialist | Customer Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.3% Female, 49.7% | Male, 50.6% Female, 49.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 6.6% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |