Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between general merchandise clerks and general sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a general merchandise clerk has an average salary of $34,415, which is higher than the $29,328 average annual salary of a general sales associate.
The top three skills for a general merchandise clerk include product knowledge, product displays and customer service. The most important skills for a general sales associate are POS, work ethic, and food preparation.
| General Merchandise Clerk | General Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $34,415 | $29,328 |
| Hourly rate | $16.55 | $14.10 |
| Growth rate | 1% | - |
| Number of jobs | 137,799 | 383,009 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
This individual works in the GM section of a store. They interact with customers and assist them as they purchase merchandise. In this role, they are expected to place all special orders and to take stock of all products annually. Other responsibilities of this position include developing merchandise plans and ensuring they are compliant with quality standards. They may also have to evaluate merchandise and ensure credit payments are accurate.
The job of a general sales associate is to provide great customer service and increase the revenue of a business. They sell products and services and help customers find the right product. Depending on the retail store, their responsibilities may involve organizing store shelves, answering customers' questions, ringing up purchases, operating the cash register, and greeting customers. They may also be expected to take full charge of the managing of all financial transactions and balancing drawers.
General merchandise clerks and general sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| General Merchandise Clerk | General Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $34,415 | $29,328 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $42,000 | Between $21,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck |
| Best paying industry | - | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a general merchandise clerk and a general sales associate in terms of educational background:
| General Merchandise Clerk | General Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between general merchandise clerks' and general sales associates' demographics:
| General Merchandise Clerk | General Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8% | Male, 60.2% Female, 39.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 23.0% Asian, 5.9% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 7.2% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 7% |