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The differences between retail sales specialists and sales clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a retail sales specialist has an average salary of $45,756, which is higher than the $25,739 average annual salary of a sales clerk.
The top three skills for a retail sales specialist include retail sales, POS and store management. The most important skills for a sales clerk are customer service, stock shelves, and sales floor.
| Retail Sales Specialist | Sales Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $45,756 | $25,739 |
| Hourly rate | $22.00 | $12.37 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 480,721 | 372,651 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| 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 They also ensure the adequacy of stock levels, remove outdated products, and refill items as necessary.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 sales clerk is responsible for assisting customers in purchasing products, responding to customer inquiries, and providing product recommendations. Sales clerks require excellent customer service and communication skills to offer the best services to the customers and maintain good customer feedback for the business. They also check inventories, request supplies as needed, and organize product displays on the appropriate shelves. A sales clerk must have strong verbal communication skills to manage customer concerns and excellent time-management skills to perform tasks within the fast-paced work environment.
Retail sales specialists and sales clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Retail Sales Specialist | Sales Clerk | |
| Average salary | $45,756 | $25,739 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $54,000 | Between $16,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New York |
| Best paying company | Anastasia Beverly Hills | Hawaii Pacific Health |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Energy |
There are a few differences between a retail sales specialist and a sales clerk in terms of educational background:
| Retail Sales Specialist | Sales Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between retail sales specialists' and sales clerks' demographics:
| Retail Sales Specialist | Sales Clerk | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.7% Female, 43.3% | Male, 35.3% Female, 64.7% |
| 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, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 6.8% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |