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The differences between sales assistants and customer sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a customer sales associate has an average salary of $37,024, which is higher than the $35,258 average annual salary of a sales assistant.
The top three skills for a sales assistant include customer service, powerpoint and account executives. The most important skills for a customer sales associate are sales floor, customer satisfaction, and customer service.
| Sales Assistant | Customer Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $35,258 | $37,024 |
| Hourly rate | $16.95 | $17.80 |
| Growth rate | - | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 347,034 | 415,981 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
Sales assistants are usually entry-level or junior employees who are assigned to help out in the sales department. They are responsible for any administrative or clerical activities needed in the department. They may also work on the operations floor to assist with the selling of company products or services. They help complete company sales by approaching potential buyers and answering any questions about items. They should be familiar with what the company offers to identify the products that would best fit the needs of the customer.
A customer sales associate specializes in handling and communicating with customers to secure sales in a retail store. Their primary responsibilities revolve around greeting clients, responding to inquiries, providing assistance, and even offering suggestions when necessary. Aside from ensuring customer satisfaction, it is also their responsibility to maintain the cleanliness and order on the sales floor by re-stocking shelves and arranging them to look presentable. Furthermore, a customer sales associate must coordinate with other sales floor members and report to a manager or supervisor.
Sales assistants and customer sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sales Assistant | Customer Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $35,258 | $37,024 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $47,000 | Between $27,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Odenton, MD |
| Highest paying state | New York | Maryland |
| Best paying company | IBM | Johnson Controls |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Real Estate |
There are a few differences between a sales assistant and a customer sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Sales Assistant | Customer Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between sales assistants' and customer sales associates' demographics:
| Sales Assistant | Customer Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.2% Female, 71.8% | Male, 50.6% Female, 49.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 8.0% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 7.0% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |