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The differences between retail sales associate/cashiers 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 $25,961 average annual salary of a retail sales associate/cashier.
The top three skills for a retail sales associate/cashier include customer service, basic math and math. The most important skills for a general sales associate are POS, work ethic, and food preparation.
| Retail Sales Associate/Cashier | General Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $25,961 | $29,328 |
| Hourly rate | $12.48 | $14.10 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 463,864 | 383,009 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A cashier is responsible for ensuring all the products and goods sold are well recorded and paid for as well as answering customer inquiries and recommending products. They also help the other sales team when needed and process payment for all goods bought. Their duties and responsibilities include processing payments, ensuring all goods bought are accurately scanned and recorded, and bagging purchases.
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.
Retail sales associate/cashiers and general sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Retail Sales Associate/Cashier | General Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $25,961 | $29,328 |
| Salary range | Between $20,000 And $32,000 | Between $21,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Long Beach, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | The TJX Companies | Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a retail sales associate/cashier and a general sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Retail Sales Associate/Cashier | General Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between retail sales associate/cashiers' and general sales associates' demographics:
| Retail Sales Associate/Cashier | General Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.5% Female, 75.5% | Male, 60.2% Female, 39.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 22.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 | 7% | 7% |