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The differences between general sales associates and general sales managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a general sales manager has an average salary of $118,744, 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 general sales manager are customer service, dealership, and customer satisfaction.
| General Sales Associate | General Sales Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $29,328 | $118,744 |
| Hourly rate | $14.10 | $57.09 |
| Growth rate | - | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 383,009 | 196,210 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 41 | 46 |
| Years of experience | - | 8 |
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 sales managers are responsible for monitoring the daily operation of the sales team and analyze marketing strategies to improve sales performance and generate more revenues. General sales managers develop strategic plans, adjust sales quotas as needed, identify business opportunities, research current market trends, and evaluate the annual budget. General sales managers also respond to the customers' inquiries and high-level complaints, providing immediate resolutions to ensure customer satisfaction. A general sales manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the sales department, especially on sales techniques in reaching the business' profitability goals.
General sales associates and general sales managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| General Sales Associate | General Sales Manager | |
| Average salary | $29,328 | $118,744 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $39,000 | Between $71,000 And $196,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Westport, CT |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Maine |
| Best paying company | Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Professional |
There are a few differences between a general sales associate and a general sales manager in terms of educational background:
| General Sales Associate | General Sales Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between general sales associates' and general sales managers' demographics:
| General Sales Associate | General Sales Manager | |
| Average age | 41 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.2% Female, 39.8% | Male, 85.5% Female, 14.5% |
| 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, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |