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The differences between parts managers 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 parts manager and a sales associate/manager. Additionally, a parts manager has an average salary of $60,136, which is higher than the $41,412 average annual salary of a sales associate/manager.
The top three skills for a parts manager include customer service, parts inventory and dealership. The most important skills for a sales associate/manager are customer service, sales floor, and strong customer service.
| Parts Manager | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $60,136 | $41,412 |
| Hourly rate | $28.91 | $19.91 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 53,880 | 318,977 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A parts manager is responsible for monitoring the inventory and stock supplies, ensuring the adequacy of materials for the smooth flow of operations. Parts managers negotiate with suppliers and third-party vendors for high-quality materials required to complete an industry's production process, such as automobile or construction businesses. They should have excellent communication and marketing skills to sell products to existing and potential customers, bringing revenues to the company to achieve its profitability goals. A parts manager also creates regular expense reports and determines the products' compatibility with customer specifications.
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.
Parts managers and sales associate/managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Parts Manager | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Average salary | $60,136 | $41,412 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $85,000 | Between $30,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | Freeport, NY | Salem, VA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Phoenix Investment Funds | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a parts manager and a sales associate/manager in terms of educational background:
| Parts Manager | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 32% | 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 parts managers' and sales associate/managers' demographics:
| Parts Manager | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9% | Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 6.5% White, 62.0% 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% |