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The differences between retail sales specialists and department specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a department specialist has an average salary of $49,764, which is higher than the $45,756 average annual salary of a retail sales specialist.
The top three skills for a retail sales specialist include retail sales, POS and store management. The most important skills for a department specialist are product knowledge, drive sales, and cleanliness.
| Retail Sales Specialist | Department Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $45,756 | $49,764 |
| Hourly rate | $22.00 | $23.93 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 480,721 | 55,038 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A retail sales specialist is responsible for selling goods and services and providing the best customer service for the consumers. Retail sales specialists assist the customers on the floor, directing them to the area of their needs, and recommending them products according to their budget limitations. They also ensure the adequacy of stock levels, remove outdated products, and refill items as necessary. A retail sales specialist also supports in resolving complaints, such as replacing items and processing refunds as necessary.
A department specialist drives the profitable sales growth of a company through proper planning and execution of corporate merchandise direction. Department specialists develop plans and strategies to achieve corporate sales results through action planning, consistent accountability, and effective communication. They initiate and carry out business-wide software and hardware standardization. Also, they coordinate space utilization or facility scheduling optimization for programs focused on members.
Retail sales specialists and department specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Retail Sales Specialist | Department Specialist | |
| Average salary | $45,756 | $49,764 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $54,000 | Between $35,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Anastasia Beverly Hills | Springs Charter Schools |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Government |
There are a few differences between a retail sales specialist and a department specialist in terms of educational background:
| Retail Sales Specialist | Department Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between retail sales specialists' and department specialists' demographics:
| Retail Sales Specialist | Department Specialist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.7% Female, 43.3% | Male, 37.6% Female, 62.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 7.7% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |