General merchandise sales representative vs area sales representative

The differences between general merchandise sales representatives and area sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a general merchandise sales representative and an area sales representative. Additionally, an area sales representative has an average salary of $58,355, which is higher than the $56,221 average annual salary of a general merchandise sales representative.

The top three skills for a general merchandise sales representative include delivery schedules, customer service and sales floor. The most important skills for an area sales representative are customer service, business development, and sales process.

General merchandise sales representative vs area sales representative overview

	General Merchandise Sales Representative	Area Sales Representative
Yearly salary	$56,221	$58,355
Hourly rate	$27.03	$28.06
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	126,832	199,212
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

General merchandise sales representative vs area sales representative salary

General merchandise sales representatives and area sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Merchandise Sales Representative	Area Sales Representative
Average salary	$56,221	$58,355
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $96,000	Between $42,000 And $80,000
Highest paying City	-	Syracuse, NY
Highest paying state	-	Maine
Best paying company	-	Microsoft
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between general merchandise sales representative and area sales representative education

There are a few differences between a general merchandise sales representative and an area sales representative in terms of educational background:

	General Merchandise Sales Representative	Area Sales Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

General merchandise sales representative vs area sales representative demographics

Here are the differences between general merchandise sales representatives' and area sales representatives' demographics:

	General Merchandise Sales Representative	Area Sales Representative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 55.9% Female, 44.1%	Male, 66.0% Female, 34.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.3% White, 79.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between general merchandise sales representative and area sales representative duties and responsibilities

General merchandise sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage and assist a vast customer base in the market for new roofing needs after a large hail storm in Lubbock.
Develop and implement marketing programs for distributors and retailers, including co-op advertising plans, promotional events, and merchandising techniques.
Provide training which include seminars and PowerPoint presentations.

Area sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage and create all content distribute via various social media outlets: Facebook, twitter, feedback blogs, etc.
Create wholesale catalog using Powerpoint and PDF.
Add and update customer information in Seibel CRM application.
Schedule monthly sales, change POS, acquire extra sales/floor space.
Increase sales and product visibility by placing POS material and encouraging promotion participation within accounts.
Execute weekly on premise promotions and off-site special events that generate brand awareness, increase distribution and additional sales.

General merchandise sales representative vs area sales representative skills

Common general merchandise sales representative skills

Delivery Schedules, 83%
Customer Service, 13%
Sales Floor, 4%

Common area sales representative skills

Customer Service, 24%
Business Development, 17%
Sales Process, 15%
Customer Relations, 7%
Product Knowledge, 4%
Territory Sales, 3%

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General Merchandise Sales Representative related jobs

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General Merchandise Sales Representative
General Merchandise Sales Representative vs Area Sales Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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