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The differences between sales assistants and 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 $32,167 average annual salary of a sales associate.
The top three skills for a sales assistant include customer service, powerpoint and account executives. The most important skills for a sales associate are customer service, sales floor, and cash handling.
| Sales Assistant | Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $35,258 | $32,167 |
| Hourly rate | $16.95 | $15.46 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 347,034 | 579,849 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| 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.
Sales associates are responsible for promoting the company's goods or services. They are expected to provide exceptional customer service to prospective buyers. They should be familiar with all features of the company's products or services so that they can answer the customers' inquiries. Sales associates also assist customers in processing their checkouts, refunds, returns, and other needs. They should be customer-oriented, and they should have great communication skills. They should know how to sell their products or services to customers. They are considered the company's representatives on the ground.
Sales assistants and sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sales Assistant | Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $35,258 | $32,167 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $47,000 | Between $21,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | IBM | Barclays |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a sales assistant and a sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Sales Assistant | Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between sales assistants' and sales associates' demographics:
| Sales Assistant | Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.2% Female, 71.8% | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% |
| 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, 10.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 6.9% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |