Manager trainee vs store sales associate

The differences between managers trainee 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 manager trainee and a store sales associate. Additionally, a manager trainee has an average salary of $49,193, which is higher than the $30,284 average annual salary of a store sales associate.

The top three skills for a manager trainee include management, management position and store management. The most important skills for a store sales associate are sales floor, POS, and product knowledge.

Manager trainee vs store sales associate overview

	Manager Trainee	Store Sales Associate
Yearly salary	$49,193	$30,284
Hourly rate	$23.65	$14.56
Growth rate	6%	-
Number of jobs	38,663	524,877
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	6	6

What does a manager trainee do?

A manager trainee's primary function is to observe and gain practical experience from working with senior staff or managers and following their daily directives. Most of the tasks will be administrative support related, which will involve preparing reports and assessments, keeping and updating records, creating presentations, and crafting strategies alongside supervising officers. Furthermore, a manager trainee must attend training sessions, meetings, and workshops to learn more about managerial duties. It is also essential to understand and uphold all policies and regulations of the company, implementing them when the time comes.

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.

Manager trainee vs store sales associate salary

Managers trainee and store sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Manager Trainee	Store Sales Associate
Average salary	$49,193	$30,284
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $66,000	Between $23,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Providence, RI	Elizabeth, NJ
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	New Jersey
Best paying company	Seneca Foods	Rooms To Go
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Hospitality

Differences between manager trainee and store sales associate education

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

	Manager Trainee	Store Sales Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Manager trainee vs store sales associate demographics

Here are the differences between managers trainee' and store sales associates' demographics:

	Manager Trainee	Store Sales Associate
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 63.2% Female, 36.8%	Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 7.3% White, 61.8% 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 manager trainee and store sales associate duties and responsibilities

Manager trainee example responsibilities.

Manage the appearance of the store in conjunction with the store priorities to present a desirable image of Aldi.
Work in a fast-pace environment where multitasking and stress management is essential.
Improve sanitation, cleanliness, and customer experience exceeding such levels maintain by previous management.
Train within the organization on various aspects regarding leadership, merchandising, customer service, inventory, profit/loss and civic responsibility.
Talk about ADT and UPT with the employees every morning and night.
Provide team support such as weekly contests to motivate increase UPT performance.

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.

Manager trainee vs store sales associate skills

Common manager trainee skills

Management, 30%
Management Position, 20%
Store Management, 17%
Inventory Management, 16%
Leadership, 5%
Customer Complaints, 1%

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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Manager Trainee
Manager Trainee vs Store Sales Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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