Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between department leads and sales lead/sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a department lead and a sales lead/sales associate. Additionally, a department lead has an average salary of $42,113, which is higher than the $31,954 average annual salary of a sales lead/sales associate.
The top three skills for a department lead include cleanliness, safety procedures and customer service. The most important skills for a sales lead/sales associate are POS, cash control, and customer service.
| Department Lead | Sales Lead/Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $42,113 | $31,954 |
| Hourly rate | $20.25 | $15.36 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 204,534 | 882,220 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A department lead's responsibilities will vary in an organization or company. It will, most of the time, revolve around overseeing the progress of work in a particular area and evaluating department staff's performance. Other responsibilities include setting goals and implementing the company's policies and guidelines. They may also carry out administrative tasks such as approving and signing paperwork, producing reports and presentations, and crafting guidelines and strategies to help reach goals. Furthermore, as a department head, it is important to encourage staff and shape them into valuable company members.
Sales lead and sales associates are two different sales positions in the retail industry. A sales lead is in charge of supervising the sales department. Sales leads perform administrative duties like recruiting and training staff, monitoring inventories, and maintaining sales performance. On the other hand, sales associates guide potential customers to acquire the products or services that fit their needs. The associates notify clients of sales promotions then present to them the product or service. Employees for these positions are looking for candidates with relevant experience in sales and related degrees like marketing and sales.
Department leads and sales lead/sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Department Lead | Sales Lead/Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $42,113 | $31,954 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $79,000 | Between $17,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Haven, CT | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New York |
| Best paying company | Tufts Medical Center | |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Retail |
There are a few differences between a department lead and a sales lead/sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Department Lead | Sales Lead/Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi |
Here are the differences between department leads' and sales lead/sales associates' demographics:
| Department Lead | Sales Lead/Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.7% Female, 45.3% | Male, 35.3% Female, 64.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |