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The differences between retail sales specialists and inside sales specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an inside sales specialist has an average salary of $50,944, 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 an inside sales specialist are customer service, CRM, and sales process.
| Retail Sales Specialist | Inside Sales Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $45,756 | $50,944 |
| Hourly rate | $22.00 | $24.49 |
| Growth rate | - | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 480,721 | 251,423 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
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 They also ensure the adequacy of stock levels, remove outdated products, and refill items as necessary.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.
An inside sales specialist is primarily responsible for securing sales by reaching out to clients to sell products and services. They may communicate with customers through calls and correspondence or personally recommend products in a retail store setting. Moreover, they are also responsible for responding to inquiries or concerns, identifying the customers' needs, devising strategies to find sales opportunities, and discussing products to customers. An inside sales specialist is often required to meet sales goals and report to managers should there be any issues or problems.
Retail sales specialists and inside sales specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Retail Sales Specialist | Inside Sales Specialist | |
| Average salary | $45,756 | $50,944 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $54,000 | Between $34,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Washington |
| Best paying company | Anastasia Beverly Hills | Keller Williams Greater Seattle |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Real Estate |
There are a few differences between a retail sales specialist and an inside sales specialist in terms of educational background:
| Retail Sales Specialist | Inside Sales Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between retail sales specialists' and inside sales specialists' demographics:
| Retail Sales Specialist | Inside Sales Specialist | |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.7% Female, 43.3% | Male, 52.0% Female, 48.0% |
| 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, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |