Department store sales person vs retail clerk

The differences between department store sales people and retail clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a department store sales person has an average salary of $47,429, which is higher than the $30,046 average annual salary of a retail clerk.

Department store sales person vs retail clerk overview

	Department Store Sales Person	Retail Clerk
Yearly salary	$47,429	$30,046
Hourly rate	$22.80	$14.45
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	228,931	470,355
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

Department store sales person vs retail clerk salary

Department store sales people and retail clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Department Store Sales Person	Retail Clerk
Average salary	$47,429	$30,046
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $64,000	Between $23,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Rhode Island
Best paying company	-	Bellevue Jr/Sr High School
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between department store sales person and retail clerk education

There are a few differences between a department store sales person and a retail clerk in terms of educational background:

	Department Store Sales Person	Retail Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common major	Specialized Sales And Merchandising	Business
Most common college	-	-

Department store sales person vs retail clerk demographics

Here are the differences between department store sales people' and retail clerks' demographics:

	Department Store Sales Person	Retail Clerk
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 26.0% Female, 74.0%	Male, 41.0% Female, 59.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 5.7% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 6.6% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between department store sales person and retail clerk duties and responsibilities

Department store sales person example responsibilities.

Service retail customers by processing purchase orders/request and deliveries; displaying specific POS materials for advertisement and product announcement.
Earn role expansion to encompass auto sales after exceeding rigorous automobile sales objectives.

Retail clerk example responsibilities.

Accomplish upselling goals to contribute to company's success.
Handle sales and returns through a POS software system and inventory database, and train new employees on the same tools.
Collect and process payments including accurate maintenance of sales register and jewelry inventory following close of daily business.
Provide excellent customer service while upselling promotional products

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Department Store Sales Person
Department Store Sales Person vs Retail Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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