General sales associate vs furniture sales associate

The differences between general sales associates and furniture sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a furniture sales associate has an average salary of $49,717, which is higher than the $29,328 average annual salary of a general sales associate.

The top three skills for a general sales associate include POS, work ethic and food preparation. The most important skills for a furniture sales associate are sales associates, sales floor, and furniture sales.

General sales associate vs furniture sales associate overview

	General Sales Associate	Furniture Sales Associate
Yearly salary	$29,328	$49,717
Hourly rate	$14.10	$23.90
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	383,009	304,173
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

What does a general sales associate do?

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.

What does a furniture sales associate do?

A furniture sales associate is, basically, responsible for selling furniture. They have to keep their sales pitch polished, because they are required to make customers buy products, even if they are unwilling. Selling is not their only responsibility, however. They also do the job of an advertiser to promote the products of the business and attract new customers. Good communication and interpersonal skills will be a strong asset in this role, since it involves face-to-face or phone communication with potential customers.

General sales associate vs furniture sales associate salary

General sales associates and furniture sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Sales Associate	Furniture Sales Associate
Average salary	$29,328	$49,717
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $39,000	Between $36,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Arlington, VA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Oregon
Best paying company	Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck	Sadler's Home Furnishings
Best paying industry	Automotive	Manufacturing

Differences between general sales associate and furniture sales associate education

There are a few differences between a general sales associate and a furniture sales associate in terms of educational background:

	General Sales Associate	Furniture Sales Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

General sales associate vs furniture sales associate demographics

Here are the differences between general sales associates' and furniture sales associates' demographics:

	General Sales Associate	Furniture Sales Associate
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 60.2% Female, 39.8%	Male, 65.0% Female, 35.0%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 6.8% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between general sales associate and furniture sales associate duties and responsibilities

General sales associate example responsibilities.

Supervise women's department, manage jewelry department, assist customers on finalizing purchases
Exhibit rudimentary math skills and advance communication skills when efficiently cashiering in a fast pace environment.
Perform minor repairs on Kohl's jewelry like changing watch batteries and removing watch links.

Furniture sales associate example responsibilities.

Manage teal (register), maintain cleanliness and appearance of the outside lawn & garden area.
Process POS and return transactions, applying sales techniques to encourage customers to enroll in the company customer loyalty program.
Assist customers with questions and concerns with merchandise, handling POS transactions and returns.
Update daily records of sales orders and maintain familiarity with dealership fleets including staying update regarding competitor products and offerings.
Improve customer solicitation pitch to increase Kohl's credit card application solicitations.

General sales associate vs furniture sales associate skills

Common general sales associate skills

POS, 15%
Work Ethic, 14%
Food Preparation, 11%
PowerPoint, 10%
Customer Service, 10%
Lead Generation, 9%

Common furniture sales associate skills

Sales Associates, 31%
Sales Floor, 28%
Furniture Sales, 11%
Customer Service, 7%
POS, 4%
Basic Math, 3%

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General Sales Associate
General Sales Associate vs Furniture Sales Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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