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The differences between sales assistants and technician/sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a technician/sales associate has an average salary of $35,654, 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 technician/sales associate are sales floor, retail environment, and ladders.
| Sales Assistant | Technician/Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $35,258 | $35,654 |
| Hourly rate | $16.95 | $17.14 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 347,034 | 322,748 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| 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.
A technician/sales associate is someone who promotes the products or services of an enterprise through customer service. Sales associates are in charge of greeting the customers and guiding them through the products. They are the ones who provide answers to questions from customers, ensuring a pleasant experience for the guests. It is also part of their job to process the payment of the customers and package their purchased goods. They need to develop skills in customer service, communication, and sales strategy.
Sales assistants and technician/sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sales Assistant | Technician/Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $35,258 | $35,654 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $47,000 | Between $18,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | IBM | Yahoo |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a sales assistant and a technician/sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Sales Assistant | Technician/Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between sales assistants' and technician/sales associates' demographics:
| Sales Assistant | Technician/Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.2% Female, 71.8% | Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 7.7% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |