Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between sales assistants and general sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a sales assistant has an average salary of $35,258, which is higher than the $29,328 average annual salary of a general sales associate.
The top three skills for a sales assistant include customer service, powerpoint and account executives. The most important skills for a general sales associate are POS, work ethic, and food preparation.
| Sales Assistant | General Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $35,258 | $29,328 |
| Hourly rate | $16.95 | $14.10 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 347,034 | 383,009 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
The job of a general sales associate is to provide great customer service and increase the revenue of a business. They sell products and services and help customers find the right product. Depending on the retail store, their responsibilities may involve organizing store shelves, answering customers' questions, ringing up purchases, operating the cash register, and greeting customers. They may also be expected to take full charge of the managing of all financial transactions and balancing drawers.
Sales assistants and general sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sales Assistant | General Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $35,258 | $29,328 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $47,000 | Between $21,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | IBM | Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a sales assistant and a general sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Sales Assistant | General Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between sales assistants' and general sales associates' demographics:
| Sales Assistant | General Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.2% Female, 71.8% | Male, 60.2% Female, 39.8% |
| 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, 9.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 7.2% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |