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The differences between lead associates 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 lead associate and a sales associate/manager. Additionally, a lead associate has an average salary of $54,903, which is higher than the $41,412 average annual salary of a sales associate/manager.
The top three skills for a lead associate include PET, leadership and POS. The most important skills for a sales associate/manager are customer service, sales floor, and strong customer service.
| Lead Associate | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $54,903 | $41,412 |
| Hourly rate | $26.40 | $19.91 |
| Growth rate | - | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 188,353 | 318,977 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
The duties of a lead associate depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In a retail setting, their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis to identify new business opportunities, devising strategies to optimize sales, and reaching out to clients through calls and correspondence. A lead associate may offer products and services to potential clients, answer inquiries, conduct demonstrations, process payments, arrange billing plans, and perform follow-up calls. Furthermore, they may also handle issues and concerns, resolving them in adherence to the company's policies and regulations.
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.
Lead associates and sales associate/managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Associate | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Average salary | $54,903 | $41,412 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $117,000 | Between $30,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Salem, VA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a lead associate and a sales associate/manager in terms of educational background:
| Lead Associate | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi |
Here are the differences between lead associates' and sales associate/managers' demographics:
| Lead Associate | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2% | Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 Percentage | 9% | 9% |