Meat department associate vs general sales associate

The differences between meat department associates and general sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a general sales associate has an average salary of $29,328, which is higher than the $26,955 average annual salary of a meat department associate.

The top three skills for a meat department associate include food handling, customer service and grinders. The most important skills for a general sales associate are POS, work ethic, and food preparation.

Meat department associate vs general sales associate overview

	Meat Department Associate	General Sales Associate
Yearly salary	$26,955	$29,328
Hourly rate	$12.96	$14.10
Growth rate	-3%	-
Number of jobs	52,410	383,009
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	42	41
Years of experience	4	-

What does a meat department associate do?

A meat department associate is responsible for addressing customer needs and offering product suggestions based on the customer's preference. Meat department associates ensure the safe storage of the products, carefully loading and unloading the items from the distribution trucks to the appropriate area. They also assist with product packaging, price labeling, inspecting quality, and eliminating products that do not pass quality standards. A meat department associate may also perform administrative and clerical duties as needed, such as taking orders, processing payments, and updating sales reports.

What does a general sales associate do?

The job of a general sales associate is to provide great customer service and increase the revenue of a business. They sell products and services and help customers find the right product. Depending on the retail store, their responsibilities may involve organizing store shelves, answering customers' questions, ringing up purchases, operating the cash register, and greeting customers. They may also be expected to take full charge of the managing of all financial transactions and balancing drawers.

Meat department associate vs general sales associate salary

Meat department associates and general sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Meat Department Associate	General Sales Associate
Average salary	$26,955	$29,328
Salary range	Between $13,000 And $55,000	Between $21,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Leesburg, VA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Hawaii
Best paying company	Linklaters	Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck
Best paying industry	Retail	Automotive

Differences between meat department associate and general sales associate education

There are a few differences between a meat department associate and a general sales associate in terms of educational background:

	Meat Department Associate	General Sales Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Meat department associate vs general sales associate demographics

Here are the differences between meat department associates' and general sales associates' demographics:

	Meat Department Associate	General Sales Associate
Average age	42	41
Gender ratio	Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7%	Male, 60.2% Female, 39.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 7.7% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 7.2% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	3%	7%

Differences between meat department associate and general sales associate duties and responsibilities

Meat department associate example responsibilities.

Placed/Fil orders, maintain inventory, and manage department cleanliness.
Stock meat counter, dairy and frozen foods as well as general groceries.
Maintain, clean and sterilize, tables, deli slicers, and cutting equipment daily.
Clear shopping carts from lot, bag groceries for customers and help customers load groceries into vehicle.
Maintain and clean the meat dept, including saws, grinders, refrigerator, freezer and various other tools and equipment.
Used all equipment in meat department such as the refrigerators, freezers, slicers, and ovens according to company guidelines.

General sales associate example responsibilities.

Supervise women's department, manage jewelry department, assist customers on finalizing purchases
Exhibit rudimentary math skills and advance communication skills when efficiently cashiering in a fast pace environment.
Perform minor repairs on Kohl's jewelry like changing watch batteries and removing watch links.

Meat department associate vs general sales associate skills

Common meat department associate skills

Food Handling, 20%
Customer Service, 11%
Grinders, 10%
Fresh Product, 8%
Food Safety, 7%
Fresh Meat, 6%

Common general sales associate skills

POS, 15%
Work Ethic, 14%
Food Preparation, 11%
PowerPoint, 10%
Customer Service, 10%
Lead Generation, 9%

Meat Department Associate vs. similar jobs

Meat Department Associate related careers

Meat Department Associate related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Production and Manufacturing Industry
Meat Department Associate
Meat Department Associate vs General Sales Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse production and manufacturing jobs