Key holder vs store sales associate

The differences between key holders and store sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a key holder and a store sales associate. Additionally, a key holder has an average salary of $31,779, which is higher than the $30,284 average annual salary of a store sales associate.

The top three skills for a key holder include sales floor, product knowledge and visual standards. The most important skills for a store sales associate are sales floor, POS, and product knowledge.

Key holder vs store sales associate overview

	Key Holder	Store Sales Associate
Yearly salary	$31,779	$30,284
Hourly rate	$15.28	$14.56
Growth rate	-6%	-
Number of jobs	431,956	524,877
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	6	6

What does a key holder do?

A keyholder is responsible for ensuring the store's daily security before and after the operation. Keyholders' duties include assisting with administrative tasks, handling customers' inquiries, managing and escalating customers' complaints, monitoring the alarm system, keeping track of the deliveries, supporting staff training, cooperating in company's events, and recommending operational strategies to meet business goals and objectives. A keyholder must have excellent customer service and time-management skills, as well as the ability to multi-task, especially during high customer volume.

What does a store sales associate do?

A store sales associate is responsible for assisting store customers, directing them to the correct area of their needs, and responding to their inquiries and concerns regarding a product. Store sales associates also support the store's promotional campaigns, selling goods and services to the customers by demonstrating the product and its benefits. They keep the store premises clean and tidy to avoid any potential hazards during operations. A store sales associate must have excellent communication skills, especially on resolving customer complaints, processing replacements, and issuing refunds.

Key holder vs store sales associate salary

Key holders and store sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Key Holder	Store Sales Associate
Average salary	$31,779	$30,284
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $39,000	Between $23,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Elizabeth, NJ
Highest paying state	Wisconsin	New Jersey
Best paying company	Connecticut Children's Medical Center	Rooms To Go
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Hospitality

Differences between key holder and store sales associate education

There are a few differences between a key holder and a store sales associate in terms of educational background:

	Key Holder	Store Sales Associate
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Key holder vs store sales associate demographics

Here are the differences between key holders' and store sales associates' demographics:

	Key Holder	Store Sales Associate
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 28.1% Female, 71.9%	Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.6% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between key holder and store sales associate duties and responsibilities

Key holder example responsibilities.

Achieve and exceed store and company sales and KPI goals.
Manage monetary transactions and POS operations.
Used upselling techniques daily when selling gaming systems and accessories.
Maintain operational duties in the manager's absence including scheduling and review of KPI reports.
Used social networking, such as Facebook, to keep customers update on new arrivals and merchandise.
Maintain a cleanly environment for customers, employees, and other animals, especially after any pet messes.

Store sales associate example responsibilities.

Manage to sales KPI's (including sales and expense budget numbers), assuring efficient and effective use of resources.
Earn management trust by serving as keyholder, responsibly opening and closing the store.
Audit all jewelry counts daily, banking deposit log, cashier logs, sales logs.
Utilize the company's POS system to cash customers out or administer returns to the store.
Work as a sales associate and keyholder throughout the summer and a bit of the school year.
Help customers choose jewelry, pierce ears, open and close out register, set up displays.

Key holder vs store sales associate skills

Common key holder skills

Sales Floor, 18%
Product Knowledge, 11%
Visual Standards, 9%
Bank Deposits, 7%
Loss Prevention, 7%
Store Management, 6%

Common store sales associate skills

Sales Floor, 20%
POS, 10%
Product Knowledge, 10%
Store Sales, 8%
Customer Service, 6%
Stock Room, 5%

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Key Holder
Key Holder vs Store Sales Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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