Customer support associate vs customer sales associate

The differences between customer support associates 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 support associate and a customer sales associate. Additionally, a customer sales associate has an average salary of $37,024, which is higher than the $34,878 average annual salary of a customer support associate.

The top three skills for a customer support associate include data entry, strong customer service and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a customer sales associate are sales floor, customer satisfaction, and customer service.

Customer support associate vs customer sales associate overview

	Customer Support Associate	Customer Sales Associate
Yearly salary	$34,878	$37,024
Hourly rate	$16.77	$17.80
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	242,521	415,981
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	12	12

What does a customer support associate do?

A customer support associate's responsibilities revolve around assisting walk-in customers by answering inquiries, offering recommendations, issuing refunds, addressing complaints, and resolving it promptly and professionally. They may also provide support to clients through calls and correspondence, offering them products or services when necessary. There are also instances when they must perform follow-up calls, troubleshoot problems, and arrange appointments. Furthermore, as a customer support associate, it is essential to interact with clients in a friendly and efficient manner, ensuring customer satisfaction and quality service.

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.

Customer support associate vs customer sales associate salary

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

	Customer Support Associate	Customer Sales Associate
Average salary	$34,878	$37,024
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $48,000	Between $27,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Odenton, MD
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Maryland
Best paying company	Adobe	Johnson Controls
Best paying industry	Technology	Real Estate

Differences between customer support associate and customer sales associate education

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

	Customer Support Associate	Customer Sales Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Customer support associate vs customer sales associate demographics

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

	Customer Support Associate	Customer Sales Associate
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9%	Male, 50.6% Female, 49.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 7.4% White, 52.7% 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%

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

Customer support associate example responsibilities.

Manage the use of DHL or FEDEX.
Achieve quarterly A/R objectives on a regular basis.
Negotiate freight rates and manage relationships with freight forwarders and shipping companies.
Organize company events and manage payroll.
Manage high volume weekly consultant payroll using PeopleSoft.
Create and track opportunities monitor using Microsoft CRM.

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 support associate vs customer sales associate skills

Common customer support associate skills

Data Entry, 10%
Strong Customer Service, 6%
Customer Satisfaction, 5%
CSA, 5%
Inbound Calls, 4%
Health Insurance, 4%

Common customer sales associate skills

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

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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