How to hire a sales and service associate

How to hire a sales and service associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step sales and service associate hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a sales and service associate job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new sales and service associate
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a sales and service associate do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The sales and service associate hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A sales and service associate's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, sales and service associates from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of sales and service associates and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Sales And Service Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Sales And Service Associate	Retail sales workers include both those who sell retail merchandise, such as clothing, furniture, and automobiles, (called retail salespersons) and those who sell spare and replacement parts and equipment, especially car parts (called parts salespersons). Both types of workers help customers find the products they want and process customers’ payments.	$13-49
   Sales Clerk	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... Show more	$7-18
   Sales Service Coordinator	A sales service coordinator is responsible for leading and overseeing the progress of a company's sales team, ensuring efficiency and customer satisfaction. One of their primary duties is to organize sales and customer data... Show more	$11-27

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Sound Judgment
   • Sales Process
   • Customer Problems
   • Financial Transactions
   • Product Knowledge
   • Outbound Calls
   • Reservations
   • Sales Floor
   • Plumbing
   • Strong Customer Service
   • Booking
   • Quality Customer Service
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Excellent Organizational

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Set and achieve monthly goals in new accounts and investment referrals; encourage cross-sells of services as per management
   • Experience booking and closing loans.
   • Collaborate with agents in booking appointments and fielding calls.
   • Prepare and maintain a log in CRM of all quotations and customer relate activity.
   • Cashier, inventory, plumbing, paint, lawnmowers, pump repair and pool cleaning service
   • Offer customers an opportunity to test drive vehicles; conduct follow up calls and CRM.

   More sales and service associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your sales and service associate job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A sales and service associate salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, sales and service associates' average salary in alaska is 60% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level sales and service associates earn 72% less than senior-level sales and service associates.
   • Certifications. A sales and service associate with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a sales and service associate's salary.

   Average sales and service associate salary

   $55,256yearly

   $26.57 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level sales and service associate salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average sales and service associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$79,531	$38
   2	District of Columbia	$74,990	$36
   3	Hawaii	$74,191	$36
   4	California	$73,744	$35
   5	Massachusetts	$69,533	$33
   6	New Jersey	$69,464	$33
   7	Washington	$57,512	$28
   8	Georgia	$56,371	$27
   9	Indiana	$53,107	$26
   10	Florida	$52,302	$25
   11	Ohio	$51,890	$25
   12	Louisiana	$51,233	$25
   13	Maine	$50,391	$24
   14	Oregon	$50,307	$24
   15	Arkansas	$50,135	$24
   16	Arizona	$50,132	$24
   17	North Carolina	$49,903	$24
   18	Pennsylvania	$47,677	$23
   19	Illinois	$47,633	$23
   20	Missouri	$46,247	$22

   Average sales and service associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Veeva Systems	$127,708	$61.40	4
   2	AEA Investors	$121,878	$58.60	266
   3	Citi	$114,141	$54.88	3
   4	Cisco	$96,424	$46.36
   5	Workday	$92,084	$44.27
   6	Pwc	$88,834	$42.71	1
   7	Santander Bank	$85,047	$40.89
   8	Salesforce	$83,926	$40.35
   9	RH	$83,613	$40.20	37
   10	J.P. Morgan	$83,285	$40.04
   11	Santander Private Banking International	$82,227	$39.53
   12	Safra National Bank of New York	$79,785	$38.36
   13	Accenture	$76,874	$36.96	18
   14	First Foundation	$69,179	$33.26
   15	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$68,549	$32.96	276
   16	Medtronic	$67,607	$32.50	43
   17	Morningstar	$65,115	$31.31	1
   18	Future	$63,142	$30.36
   19	Black Hills	$59,002	$28.37
   20	Water Street Mission	$58,501	$28.13

4. Writing a sales and service associate job description

   A sales and service associate job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a sales and service associate job description:

   Sales and service associate job description example

   This position earns a competitive wage , depending on experience. We provide exceptional benefits , including health, dental, vision, paid time off (PTO), paid holidays, life insurance, a 401(k), and short- and long-term disability . If this sounds like the right opportunity for you, apply today!

   ABOUT JOHNSTONE SUPPLY

   Johnstone Supply is a one-stop shop with a variety of options in unitary and specialty equipment, repair and replacement parts, and maintenance supplies for residential, light commercial, refrigeration, and facilities maintenance. We offer the products, programs, and services that help contractors of all sizes succeed. We're committed to being our customers' HVAC/R resource from start to finish.

   With a friendly, fun, and team-oriented environment , our employees know that they are not just a number. We value their hard work and show it through our bonuses, competitive pay, and great benefits .

   A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN HVAC COUNTER SALES / SERVICE ASSOCIATE

   As an HVAC Counter Sales / Service Associate, you play a vital role in the operations of our business. You greet customers as they enter our store and answer incoming phone calls. Diligently, you handle multiple customers and requests simultaneously while maintaining a friendly and professional attitude.

   As clients shop, you discuss their needs and help them to make product selections. You enter sales orders into our system for invoicing or cash payments. When necessary, you process customer returns and warranties. Additionally, you conduct research into different material options, prepare quotes, and follow up on leads to secure sales. You get great satisfaction from making sales and helping our customers to get the products they need!

   QUALIFICATIONS

   • 2+ years of experience in customer service or the HVAC and refrigeration industry
   • High school diploma or equivalent

   We will consider any equivalent combination of education and experience. Can you effectively manage a variety of tasks without letting one fall behind? Are you a people person? Can you provide quality customer service? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment? Are you highly organized and detail-oriented? If yes, you might just be perfect for this position!

   ARE YOU READY TO JOIN OUR HVAC TEAM?

   If you feel that you would be right for this job, please fill out our initial 3-minute, mobile-friendly application . We look forward to meeting you!

   Location: 60608

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right sales and service associate for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your sales and service associate job on Zippia to find and attract quality sales and service associate candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with sales and service associate candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new sales and service associate

   Once you've found the sales and service associate candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new sales and service associate. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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