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Grocery manager vs sales associate/manager

The differences between grocery managers and sales associate/managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a grocery manager and a sales associate/manager. Additionally, a sales associate/manager has an average salary of $41,412, which is higher than the $36,769 average annual salary of a grocery manager.

The top three skills for a grocery manager include basic math, food safety and role model. The most important skills for a sales associate/manager are customer service, sales floor, and strong customer service.

Grocery manager vs sales associate/manager overview

Grocery ManagerSales Associate/Manager
Yearly salary$36,769$41,412
Hourly rate$17.68$19.91
Growth rate6%5%
Number of jobs357,942318,977
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 35%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age4443
Years of experience66

What does a grocery manager do?

A Grocery Manager is in charge of overseeing the daily operations at grocery and retail stores, ensuring everything is running smoothly and efficiently. They manage and assess the performance of staff, establish guidelines and daily objectives, set schedules, delegate tasks among teams, and address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently to ensure customer satisfaction. Grocery Managesr handle cash registers, train new members of the workforce, and produce progress reports.

What does a sales associate/manager do?

As the name entails, sales associates or associate managers are responsible for helping the store manager organize and run the retail stores. Their roles and responsibilities include ensuring that the store's goals are met by the sales team, hiring and training sales staff, and monitoring inventory. They are also expected to analyze consumer behavior, look for competitive products in the market, and communicate and evaluate clients' needs. To be qualified for this position, you should have experience as an assistant manager, organizational and leadership skills, and proficiency in MS Office.

Grocery manager vs sales associate/manager salary

Grocery managers and sales associate/managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Grocery ManagerSales Associate/Manager
Average salary$36,769$41,412
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $53,000Between $30,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City-Salem, VA
Highest paying state-Massachusetts
Best paying company-Google
Best paying industry-Manufacturing

Differences between grocery manager and sales associate/manager education

There are a few differences between a grocery manager and a sales associate/manager in terms of educational background:

Grocery ManagerSales Associate/Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 35%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeSUNY College of Technology at DelhiSUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Grocery manager vs sales associate/manager demographics

Here are the differences between grocery managers' and sales associate/managers' demographics:

Grocery ManagerSales Associate/Manager
Average age4443
Gender ratioMale, 85.2% Female, 14.8%Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage10%9%

Differences between grocery manager and sales associate/manager duties and responsibilities

Grocery manager example responsibilities.

  • Direct and manage all functions of the dairy department including departmental ordering using an RF system.
  • Manage dairy levels in store, maintaining inventory levels
  • Create displays; print and run tags/signs.
  • Have ran the general merchandise department to insure fully stock by morning.
  • Break down pallets, rotate stock, discard outdate or damage products.
  • Oversee general appearance of sales area, backroom and store OSHA conditions and compliance.
  • Show more

Sales associate/manager example responsibilities.

  • Partner in managing operations of multiple retail outlets, including hiring, performance management, scheduling, and merchandising management.
  • Execute marketing and visual merchandising initiatives and organize POS merchandise display.
  • Partner in managing operations of multiple retail outlets, including hiring, performance management, scheduling, and merchandising management.
  • Start as a part time associate and are promoted to full time Keyholder within 90 days.

Grocery manager vs sales associate/manager skills

Common grocery manager skills
  • Basic Math, 9%
  • Food Safety, 8%
  • Role Model, 8%
  • Wine, 8%
  • Math, 7%
  • Cleanliness, 6%
Common sales associate/manager skills
  • Customer Service, 34%
  • Sales Floor, 13%
  • Strong Customer Service, 9%
  • Retail Sales, 4%
  • Payroll, 4%
  • Product Knowledge, 4%

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