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The differences between retail sales managers and senior sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior sales associate has an average salary of $53,906, which is higher than the $48,678 average annual salary of a retail sales manager.
The top three skills for a retail sales manager include retail sales, store operations and store sales. The most important skills for a senior sales associate are customer service, product knowledge, and phone calls.
| Retail Sales Manager | Senior Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $48,678 | $53,906 |
| Hourly rate | $23.40 | $25.92 |
| Growth rate | 5% | - |
| Number of jobs | 353,765 | 420,823 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 46 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 8 | - |
A retail sales manager is responsible for managing the retail sales department's operations, ensuring the highest customer satisfaction with the staff's efficiency and performance. Retail sales managers develop sales strategies and marketing campaigns to boost revenues, increasing the company's profitability. They also conduct training and programs for staff to maximize their productivity and provide the best customer service for their clients. A retail sales manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, respond to the customers' inquiries and concerns, and resolve their complaints.
A senior sales associate is responsible for overseeing the operations in a retail establishment's sales floor. They reach out to customers and respond to inquiries, help them obtain the product they are looking for, or recommend other goods should it be necessary. As a senior sales associate, they are in charge of mentoring less experienced colleagues and shaping them into more competent workforce members. They must also implement sales policies and regulations, devise strategies to reach sales targets, find new opportunities to strengthen client base, produce reports, and maintain inventory.
Retail sales managers and senior sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Retail Sales Manager | Senior Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $48,678 | $53,906 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $66,000 | Between $22,000 And $128,000 |
| Highest paying City | Reno, NV | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | California |
| Best paying company | Talbots | Goldman Sachs |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a retail sales manager and a senior sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Retail Sales Manager | Senior Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | - |
Here are the differences between retail sales managers' and senior sales associates' demographics:
| Retail Sales Manager | Senior Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 46 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.2% Female, 38.8% | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 7.4% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |