Sales agent vs associate sales representative

The differences between sales agents and associate sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a sales agent, becoming an associate sales representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an associate sales representative has an average salary of $51,007, which is higher than the $45,217 average annual salary of a sales agent.

The top three skills for a sales agent include customer service, customer satisfaction and life insurance. The most important skills for an associate sales representative are work ethic, patients, and product knowledge.

Sales agent vs associate sales representative overview

	Sales Agent	Associate Sales Representative
Yearly salary	$45,217	$51,007
Hourly rate	$21.74	$24.52
Growth rate	10%	4%
Number of jobs	391,987	333,049
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	43	47
Years of experience	6	4

What does a sales agent do?

A sales representative is responsible for offering goods and services to potential and existing clients. Sales representatives must display a strong knowledge of the company's products to assist customers with their inquiries and concerns. A sales representative should have exceptional communication skills and extensive knowledge of the sales industry to deliver sales pitches and negotiate pricing offers with the clients. Sales representatives must also keep themselves updated with the current market trends to provide service recommendations, improving their sales to increase revenues.

What does an associate sales representative do?

The duties of an associate sales representative depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Their responsibilities typically revolve around reaching out to clients through calls or door-to-door visits, offering products and services, collecting payments, addressing issues and concerns, and performing corrective measures when necessary. An associate sales representative often has a quota and deadline to reach; therefore, it is essential to be sales driven and goal-oriented. Furthermore, one must adhere to the policies and regulations of the company.

Sales agent vs associate sales representative salary

Sales agents and associate sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Sales Agent	Associate Sales Representative
Average salary	$45,217	$51,007
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $95,000	Between $37,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	New York	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Goldman Sachs	Verint
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between sales agent and associate sales representative education

There are a few differences between a sales agent and an associate sales representative in terms of educational background:

	Sales Agent	Associate Sales Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Sales agent vs associate sales representative demographics

Here are the differences between sales agents' and associate sales representatives' demographics:

	Sales Agent	Associate Sales Representative
Average age	43	47
Gender ratio	Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3%	Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 9.3% White, 68.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 72.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between sales agent and associate sales representative duties and responsibilities

Sales agent example responsibilities.

Manage a CRM pipeline of hundreds of leads with different needs and qualifications.
Generate fresh leads through outbound telemarketing.
Achieve sales standards set for department by effectively communicating Humana campaigns to customers.
Increase customer understanding of Comcast products and pricing models as well as competitive advantage over other service providers.
Schedule and meet individuals\groups for assign or self-generate leads, assist and enroll eligible individuals in suitable Medicare product.
Adhere to all CMS, company, and carrier relate policies and procedures while growing sales.

Associate sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage organization website and Facebook page; writing articles for websites and newsletters.
Perform inside sales, including telemarketing, prospecting, account penetration and product application, consulting and delivery of customer service.
Learned how to ask proper questions and communicate MetLife's product differentiators against competition

Sales agent vs associate sales representative skills

Common sales agent skills

Customer Service, 10%
Customer Satisfaction, 10%
Life Insurance, 10%
Insurance Products, 7%
Work Ethic, 6%
Cold Calls, 4%

Common associate sales representative skills

Work Ethic, 16%
Patients, 13%
Product Knowledge, 12%
Excellent Interpersonal, 7%
Excellent Organizational, 4%
Sales Techniques, 4%

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Sales Agent vs Associate Sales Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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