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The differences between customer service retail associates and sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a sales associate has an average salary of $32,167, which is higher than the $30,002 average annual salary of a customer service retail associate.
The top three skills for a customer service retail associate include POS, customer service and customer orders. The most important skills for a sales associate are customer service, sales floor, and cash handling.
| Customer Service Retail Associate | Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $30,002 | $32,167 |
| Hourly rate | $14.42 | $15.46 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 580,336 | 579,849 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 33% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
Sales associates are responsible for promoting the company's goods or services. They are expected to provide exceptional customer service to prospective buyers. They should be familiar with all features of the company's products or services so that they can answer the customers' inquiries. Sales associates also assist customers in processing their checkouts, refunds, returns, and other needs. They should be customer-oriented, and they should have great communication skills. They should know how to sell their products or services to customers. They are considered the company's representatives on the ground.
Customer service retail associates and sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Customer Service Retail Associate | Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $30,002 | $32,167 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $37,000 | Between $21,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Tractor Supply | Barclays |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a customer service retail associate and a sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Customer Service Retail Associate | Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 33% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between customer service retail associates' and sales associates' demographics:
| Customer Service Retail Associate | Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 6.9% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |