How To Become An Inventory And Sales Associate: What It Is and Career Path

What is an inventory and sales associate and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Joseph Hancock

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an inventory and sales associate. For example, did you know that they make an average of $22.16 an hour? That's $46,091 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 an inventory and 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.

ScoreInventory And Sales AssociateUS Average

Salary

3.6

Avg. Salary $46,091

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

6.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.55%

Asian 7.34%

Black or African American 10.84%

Hispanic or Latino 21.68%

Unknown 5.15%

White 54.43%

Gender

female 37.61%

male 62.39%

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 an inventory and sales associate

Explore inventory and sales associate education requirements

Most common inventory and sales associate degrees

Bachelor's

40.5 %

High School Diploma

29.4 %

Associate

20.5 %

Start to develop specific inventory and sales associate skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	27.82%
Product Knowledge	16.18%
Sales Floor	11.53%
POS	11.18%
Inventory Control	3.55%

Complete relevant inventory and sales associate training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New inventory and 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 an inventory and sales associate based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real inventory and sales associate resumes.

Research inventory and sales associate duties and responsibilities

Supervise women's department, manage jewelry department, assist customers on finalizing purchases
Maintain inventory and assist owner operator in POS install and report capabilities.
Prepare quality food products, process accurate register transactions, maintain general appearance and cleanliness of store premises.
Improve customer solicitation pitch to increase Kohl's credit card application solicitations.

Prepare your inventory and sales associate resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your inventory and 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 an inventory and 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 inventory and sales associate resume templates

Build a professional inventory and 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 inventory and sales associate resume.

Apply for inventory and sales associate jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an inventory and 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 inventory and sales associates rate their job?

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Inventory and sales associate reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2022

Cons

Sometimes I had to finish up job tasks that were assigned to others that were not completed.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2021

Pros

I like mostly that I work with team oriented people. Some people that care and will help and that help others whether it's work related or not. That have good employee morale amongst each other not necessarily management but amongst each other.

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020