Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between produce 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 produce manager and a sales associate/manager. Additionally, a sales associate/manager has an average salary of $41,412, which is higher than the $37,310 average annual salary of a produce manager.
The top three skills for a produce manager include cleanliness, pallets and customer service. The most important skills for a sales associate/manager are customer service, sales floor, and strong customer service.
| Produce Manager | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $37,310 | $41,412 |
| Hourly rate | $17.94 | $19.91 |
| Growth rate | -21% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 157,993 | 318,977 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A produce manager works at a grocery store and is responsible for maintaining and creating the produce display. Each grocery store has standard operating procedures for sales and production, and the produce manager has to work within those guidelines to improve the sales and net profit of the store. They help negotiate prices with suppliers, ensure that they deliver the best quality stock on time, prioritize, and place orders based on the demand for such items as organic or locally grown produce. The produce manager also timely provides pricing updates, and he/she or she supervises the placement of shelf tags.
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.
Produce managers and sales associate/managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Produce Manager | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Average salary | $37,310 | $41,412 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $52,000 | Between $30,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Salem, VA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Citi | |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a produce manager and a sales associate/manager in terms of educational background:
| Produce Manager | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | 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 produce managers' and sales associate/managers' demographics:
| Produce Manager | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9% | Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 6.4% White, 62.3% 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% |