How To Become A Hardware Sales Associate: What It Is and Career Path

What is a hardware sales associate and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

Joseph Hancock

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a hardware sales associate. For example, did you know that they make an average of $18.08 an hour? That's $37,604 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 0% and produce 1,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

What's a day at work look like for a hardware sales associate?

Joseph Hancock

Research Professor, Program Director, Former Retail Operations Manager, Drexel University, Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design

New graduates will need to be self-disciplined and self-motivated. No one is going to hold your hand and tell you "get to work" or you will soon be looking for a new job. The new world may be one where you don't go to an office, but instead work right from home, scheduling appointments and doing your own calendar. My last years working for Target in a regional field position taught me that no one was going to motivate me each day, I had to motivate myself. Also, it can be lonely working from home as a new graduate, so find outside interests and ways to make friends. I am from the old fashion ideologies that getting a hobby is extremely important, and that hobby is not going to the gym or watching television. It includes something that enriches your life to be a better person in society.

ScoreHardware Sales AssociateUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $37,604

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

7.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.73%

Asian 7.01%

Black or African American 9.16%

Hispanic or Latino 19.63%

Unknown 5.64%

White 57.83%

Gender

female 20.86%

male 79.14%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

6.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.5

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.5

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a hardware sales associate

Explore hardware sales associate education requirements

Most common hardware sales associate degrees

Bachelor's

36.9 %

High School Diploma

29.2 %

Associate

21.1 %

Start to develop specific hardware sales associate skills

Skills	Percentages
Sales Floor	26.77%
Plumbing	18.57%
Customer Service	9.66%
Pallets	9.61%
Cleanliness	6.72%

Complete relevant hardware sales associate training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New hardware sales associates learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a hardware sales associate based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real hardware sales associate resumes.

Research hardware sales associate duties and responsibilities

Supervise women's department, manage jewelry department, assist customers on finalizing purchases
Handle POS register and cash handling.
Use of POS and handheld stocking devices.
Maintain aisles and run the key cutting station.

Prepare your hardware sales associate resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your hardware sales associate resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a hardware sales associate resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable hardware sales associate resume templates

Build a professional hardware sales associate resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your hardware sales associate resume.

Apply for hardware sales associate jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a hardware sales associate job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do hardware sales associates rate their job?

-/5

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Hardware sales associate reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019

Pros

The pay, the competition, the opportunity to relate to all kinds of people, the euphoria of a great day when you were “on top of it,” the instant feedback of whether you’re doing great or not (your sales for that day!).