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The differences between retail clerks and customer service retail associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a retail clerk has an average salary of $30,046, which is higher than the $30,002 average annual salary of a customer service retail associate.
The top three skills for a retail clerk include stock shelves, groceries and retail sales. The most important skills for a customer service retail associate are POS, customer service, and customer orders.
| Retail Clerk | Customer Service Retail Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $30,046 | $30,002 |
| Hourly rate | $14.45 | $14.42 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 470,355 | 580,336 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A retail clerk is responsible for selling goods and services to the customers, recommending products based on their needs, and responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns about the product. Retail clerks assist with the store's marketing strategies, organize product displays, monitor inventories, endorse promotional discounts, and help customers on their checkout payments. A retail clerk must have excellent communication and customer service skills to handle customers' requests and ensure their highest satisfaction.
A customer service retail associate is responsible for providing the highest customer service for the store's customers by responding to their inquiries and concerns and recommending them goods and services that would fit their needs. Customer service retail associates support the marketing campaigns and promotional strategies of the store by offering and demonstrating products to the customers, as well as arranging stock displays, and monitoring the adequacy of inventories. They also escalate high-level complaints to management for immediate resolution and assist with product replacement and issuing refunds as needed.
Retail clerks and customer service retail associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Retail Clerk | Customer Service Retail Associate | |
| Average salary | $30,046 | $30,002 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $38,000 | Between $23,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Bellevue, WA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Washington |
| Best paying company | Bellevue Jr/Sr High School | Tractor Supply |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a retail clerk and a customer service retail associate in terms of educational background:
| Retail Clerk | Customer Service Retail Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between retail clerks' and customer service retail associates' demographics:
| Retail Clerk | Customer Service Retail Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.0% Female, 59.0% | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 6.6% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 6.5% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |