Q: Do sales associates get paid well?

No, sales associates do not get paid well. The average hourly pay for a sales associate is $11.19. In fact, over 28% of sales associates in the United States think their salaries are enough for the cost of living in their area.

Q: Is a sales associate a cashier?

No, a sales associate is not a cashier. A sales associate deals more with maintaining products and initializing the sale of an item. Cashiers focus more on finalizing these sales and handling money.

Q: What is a good base salary for a sales job?

The average base salary for a sales job is $38,375 a year. However, there are many fluctuations in annual earning among sales associates, with salaries as high as $58,500 and low as $20,000.

Q: Is being a sales associate a good job?

Yes, being a sales associate is a good job. It's a good job for someone with no prior experience and minimal education (e.g., high school diploma). A sales associate evaluates retail customer needs and makes product/service recommendations accordingly. Part of their day-to-day work includes; scheduling appointments, answering telephone calls in a professional manner, and working with customers.

Q: What percentage of Sales Associates are female?

60.4% of sales associates are female in the United States. This is 0.9 percentage points higher than last year. Additionally, the percentage of female sales associates has decreased by -0.9 percentage points since 2010. That means there are a total of 2,214,230 female sales associates in the U.S. and 1,451,714 male sales associates in the United States. Note that Zippia's estimate accounts only for the 3,665,944 people with the specific job title of sales associate and doesn't include grouping similar job titles, or people with potentially similar credentialing.

Question 1

How long does it take to become a Sales Associate?

Accepted Answer

It takes 2 years of professional experience to become a sales associate. That is the time it takes to learn specific sales associate skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

Question 2

Do sales associates get paid well?

Accepted Answer

No, sales associates do not get paid well. The average hourly pay for a sales associate is $11.19. In fact, over 28% of sales associates in the United States think their salaries are enough for the cost of living in their area.

Question 3

How to get into sales

Accepted Answer

To get into sales, you need to gain experience in entry-level sales roles, hone your customer service skills, and get an education. For details on each of these steps and others you can take to get into sales, use this guide:

Gain experience in entry-level sales roles. The retail industry has great opportunities to gain experience in sales, and this experience can help prepare you for a career in the field.

Many entry-level sales roles don't require too much education or experience. For many jobs in this field, you only need a high school diploma or equivalent in terms of education.

Also, some sales positions don't even require previous related experience. And in regards to the ones that do, you can try to gain a position underneath the sales role, and work your way up the company's ladder.

There are so many different industries to choose from. Sales jobs in retail clothing, electronics, home goods, and even automobiles, are great entry points to a career in sales where you won't need to meet much in terms of requirements for the positions.

Pick a retail industry you are interested in. Something you won't mind talking about and pitching to customers. It helps to be selling items you are interested in and will improve your work performance.

Hone your customer service skills. Customer service skills are a critical part of sales.

Having success in sales means you have to be able to communicate well with customers and attend to their needs. This means answering questions about products or services your company offers in a polite and engaging manner.

Remember, you can hone your customer service skills in any job that interfaces with customers, so you don't necessarily need to gain this type of experience and skills from sales positions.

Get an education. An education in sales can deepen your understanding of how to best make sales.

Many sales roles don't require a college degree, but gaining one can help you move up the sales ladder faster, depending on what sales industry you are working in.

Many community colleges offer classes on sales, marketing, and sales methods. You can choose to get an associate's degree or just take a few classes that will help improve your sales knowledge and techniques.

You can also educate yourself in this area by reading books and referencing online resources related to sales.

Use your personality traits in sales. There are many inherent personality qualities that can assist you in a career in sales.

Having an outgoing personality and good social skills is highly beneficial for sales roles. You may also have other traits that help performance in sales, such as being approachable and friendly or even just having an upbeat attitude.

A genuine smile also goes a long way in the sales field, it encourages customers to want to interact with you.

If some of these qualities don't come naturally to you, try to develop them. These are very important traits for salespeople to have.

Question 4

Is a sales associate a cashier?

Accepted Answer

No, a sales associate is not a cashier. A sales associate deals more with maintaining products and initializing the sale of an item. Cashiers focus more on finalizing these sales and handling money.

Question 5

How much do sales associates usually make?

Accepted Answer

A sales associate usually makes an average annual salary of $32,373, which breaks down to $15.56 an hour. However, what a sales associate can earn varies greatly -- anywhere from upwards of $16,000 to $63,000 a year. This means that the top-earning sales associates make $47,000 more than the lowest-earning ones.

Question 6

What is a good base salary for a sales job?

Accepted Answer

The average base salary for a sales job is $38,375 a year. However, there are many fluctuations in annual earning among sales associates, with salaries as high as $58,500 and low as $20,000.

Question 7

What is a good starting salary for retail?

Accepted Answer

A good starting salary for a retail sales associate is $15 per hour. A seasonal sales associate can expect to make around $14.38 per hour.

Best Buy starts sales associates at $16.00 an hour, which is higher than the national average ($31,200 per year). Nordstrom's sales associates earn $15 per hour ($31,200 per year).

Question 8

Can a sales associate make 100k?

Accepted Answer

No, you cannot make $100,000 per year as a sales associate. It is highly unlikely to earn over $100k because the average annual salary for a sales associate is $29,949. Even sales associates in higher-paid positions do not typically earn more than $43,000 per year.

Question 9

Is being a sales associate a good job?

Accepted Answer

Yes, being a sales associate is a good job. It's a good job for someone with no prior experience and minimal education (e.g., high school diploma).

A sales associate evaluates retail customer needs and makes product/service recommendations accordingly. Part of their day-to-day work includes; scheduling appointments, answering telephone calls in a professional manner, and working with customers.

Question 10

What percentage of Sales Associates are female?

Accepted Answer

60.4% of sales associates are female in the United States. This is 0.9 percentage points higher than last year. Additionally, the percentage of female sales associates has decreased by -0.9 percentage points since 2010. That means there are a total of 2,214,230 female sales associates in the U.S. and 1,451,714 male sales associates in the United States. Note that Zippia's estimate accounts only for the 3,665,944 people with the specific job title of sales associate and doesn't include grouping similar job titles, or people with potentially similar credentialing.

Question 11

How do you describe a sales associate position on a resume?

Accepted Answer

You describe a sales associate position on a resume by including all of your relevant work experiences and education for sales positions. Additionally, it will be important to note any certifications and licenses you have earned and the relevant hard and soft skills you have developed in the sales field.

Question 12

What are prospects in sales?

Accepted Answer

Prospects in sales are leads who fit your buyer profile and are interested in hearing your sales pitch. It is important to note that a lead and a prospect are not the same things.

A lead is a potential customer who's shown interest in your product; for example, they might have signed up for your newsletter, downloaded an ebook, or read your latest blog post. But they may or may not actually be a good candidate for your product. Every prospect is a lead, but not every lead is a prospect.

Question 13

What are soft skills in sales?

Accepted Answer

Soft skills in sales include adaptability, communication, and resilience.

Adaptability
Adaptability is a skill that a person in sales must develop. Being able to obtain feedback and use that to make changes for potential growth is important.
Adaptability requires you to be open-minded even when you don't like constructive criticism. Also, being able to change quickly with shifts in the market or changes to requirements is important.
Communication
Anyone in sales must be able to communicate. You spend hours talking in person, on the phone, sending emails, or responding to text messages. At least 90% of the day is spent communicating.
You must be able to speak clearly, and often be persuasive to get your point across. It's also important to keep in mind who your audience is. Speak to the needs of your prospective client, not at them.
Resilience
Salespeople must be resilient. Sales is not always a walk in the park. You often face tough situations, rejections, and negativity. Resiliency involves processing the situation and feeling involved, then using them to create a positive outcome.
This resilience allows you to move on to the next step or client without carrying any weight of the previous situation.

Question 14

How to be a good sales associate

Accepted Answer

Being a good sales associate requires several soft skills and work practices, including communication and product knowledge. Sales associates are the intersection between a company's product and the consumer.

Frequently asked questions about sales associates

Questions about becoming a sales associate