The average deli sales associate salary is $26,623. The most common degree is a high school diploma degree with an business major. It usually takes zero years of experience to become a deli sales associate. Deli sales associates with a Food Safety Manager Certification certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -4% and produce -138,700 job opportunities across the U.S.

What Does a Deli Sales Associate Do

There are certain skills that many deli sales associates have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed near vision, patience and communication skills.

How To Become a Deli Sales Associate

If you're interested in becoming a deli sales associate, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 23.0% of deli sales associates have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 1.5% of deli sales associates have master's degrees. Even though some deli sales associates have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Deli Sales Associate Career Paths

Average Salary for a Deli Sales Associate

Deli Sales Associates in America make an average salary of $26,623 per year or $13 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $35,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $19,000 per year.
Average Deli Sales Associate Salary
$26,623 Yearly
$12.80 hourly

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Roles and Types of Deli Sales Associate

There are several types of deli sales associate, including:

Deli Clerk

Role:

Working at a deli, whether it's located in a grocery store or just in a stand-alone shop, takes a lot of patience. As a deli clerk, you'll be dealing with customers throughout your shift. It doesn't matter if they come in with a really big order that takes forever to fill or they're rude to you, your employer will be impressed as long as you wear a smile the entire time.

But good customer service isn't the end-all be-all for this position. Not every order is going to suck and not every customer is going to take patience. You might even develop a friendly relationship with those who become your "regulars." It's those orders and customers that make your job fun.

Deli clerks receive training after they're hired so that they understand how to measure deli items and price them correctly. Depending on where you're working you may even have to help customers check-out.
  • Average Salary: $32,240
  • Degree: High School Diploma

Sales Clerk

Role:

Ever been into a store with no idea of what you're getting (phew, what a hassle!)? Or have you a hard time picking between two beautiful-colored sneakers (why not get both anyway)? Worry no more! A sales clerk might be who you need to get your shopping spree done.

Sales clerks are usually those employees walking around the store to assist customers with their store experience. They know a lot about certain products, so you can trust them to give you advice on which is the best one for you. They even demonstrate the features of these items and recommend alternatives, if you're on a tight budget. Pretty cool, right? They interact with people for over eight hours, as needed, probably even during weekends, as their job requires. But really, being a sales clerk can be an awesome job. I mean, believe me, if it wasn't for sales clerks, it would be hard to look for your favorite baseball cap or fashion tee.

Being a sales clerk gives you so much exposure interacting with different people and gaining your self-confidence. If you're into customer service, this might be a good stepping stone for gaining professional expertise!
  • Average Salary: $25,739
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Outside Sales

Role:

If you're looking for a job that may persistently have you doing something new, then an outside sales representative may be just the right job for you. In this position, you would have the opportunity to develop your own sales territory by maintaining relationships with current customers and bringing in new ones to drive business. You may work as an ambassador and get a remarkable opportunity to foster strong relationships with customers and prospects.

Becoming an outside sales rep brings you an outstanding opportunity to work independently. Unlike a typical office job, here you get the power to work as often or as seldom as you want. Not only that, but a career as an outside sales brings you the flexibility of working from home, which makes it easier to achieve a work-life balance. As an outside sales representative, your day consists of few calls in the morning, either to potential customers or repeat customers. In this job, you may travel to meet clients within your sales territory, usually to sell your products or build a relationship with a current client.

To become an outside sales rep, generally, you may be required to earn a high school diploma or equivalent. Furthermore, experience in sales, preferably in outside sales, could help boost your resume. Being an independent sales agent also opens up your income potential. Generally, working as outside sales, you're likely to make an average annual amount of $61,000. What's more, if you've got qualities of a good sales representative, such as strong interpersonal and organizational skills and the power of in-person interaction, there will be no limit to the amount of money you can earn.
  • Average Salary: $77,292
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

States With The Most Deli Sales Associate Jobs

Number Of Deli Sales Associate Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California7,231$31,507
2Texas6,008$22,889
3Florida5,076$24,450
4Pennsylvania3,742$23,779
5New York3,604$26,610
6Illinois2,978$23,323
7North Carolina2,957$21,829
8Ohio2,782$24,127
9Virginia2,591$23,866
10Georgia2,544$22,965
11New Jersey2,320$25,740
12Michigan2,294$25,022
13Massachusetts1,974$28,144
14Indiana1,934$23,275
15Tennessee1,891$22,953
16Maryland1,664$28,275
17South Carolina1,595$22,934
18Arizona1,448$24,573
19Wisconsin1,439$25,085
20Washington1,399$29,085
21Colorado1,368$29,396
22Missouri1,320$28,828
23Alabama1,250$22,685
24Minnesota1,184$27,095
25Kentucky1,040$22,626
26Connecticut993$25,973
27Louisiana929$21,664
28Oklahoma872$26,875
29Iowa795$24,939
30Oregon790$30,043
31New Hampshire783$27,502
32Utah727$24,159
33Arkansas655$24,152
34Mississippi617$21,648
35West Virginia613$23,185
36Kansas603$23,464
37Maine507$28,977
38New Mexico482$24,986
39Nevada458$26,202
40Delaware380$24,818
41Idaho374$24,679
42Nebraska355$25,878
43Rhode Island259$26,841
44Hawaii196$28,410
45North Dakota183$27,032
46Montana182$24,138
47South Dakota168$25,489
48Vermont150$29,295
49Alaska113$31,289
50Wyoming94$24,983

Deli Sales Associate Education

Deli Sales Associate Majors

21.8 %

Deli Sales Associate Degrees

High School Diploma

42.8 %

Bachelors

23.0 %

Associate

19.6 %

Top Colleges for Deli Sales Associates

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Education
Business
Nursing
Computer Science
Health Care Administration

2. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Nursing
Liberal Arts
Business
Medical Assisting Services
Health Care Administration

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-State Tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Education
Business
Computer Science
Psychology
Nursing

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Liberal Arts
Business
Education
Psychology
Criminal Justice

5. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-State Tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Accounting
Business
Nursing
Education
Communication

6. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Biology
Education
Psychology
Communication
Nursing

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Liberal Arts
Criminal Justice
Biology
Nursing

8. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Education
Liberal Arts
Nursing
Psychology
Accounting

9. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

In-State Tuition

$15,374

Enrollment

19,564

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Biology
Business
Education
Psychology
Accounting

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Liberal Arts
Business
Education
Nursing
Psychology

Top Skills For a Deli Sales Associate

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 28.2% of deli sales associates listed product knowledge on their resume, but soft skills such as near vision and patience are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Deli Sales Associate Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Deli Sales Associate templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Deli Sales Associate resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Deli Sales Associate Demographics

Deli Sales Associate Gender Distribution

Female
Female
66%
Male
Male
34%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among deli sales associates, 65.9% of them are women, while 34.1% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among deli sales associates is White, which makes up 60.4% of all deli sales associates.

  • The most common foreign language among deli sales associates is Spanish at 60.8%.

Online Courses For Deli Sales Associate That You May Like

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1. The Meat We Eat

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2. Fun food safety and sanitation course

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Top Deli Sales Associate Employers

Most Common Employers For Deli Sales Associate

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Costco Wholesale$32,766$15.756
2Market Basket$31,390$15.095
3Safeway$30,948$14.8810
4Vons$30,319$14.584
5Hannaford Supermarkets$30,014$14.4320
6Publix$29,963$14.4121
7H-E-B$29,784$14.326
8Schnucks$28,714$13.805
9Jewel-Osco$27,514$13.234
10Meijer$27,465$13.206

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