How to hire a sales associate

How to hire a sales associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step sales associate hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a sales associate job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new sales associate
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a sales associate do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The sales associate hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a sales associate to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a sales associate that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of sales associates.

   Type of Sales Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Sales Associate	Retail sales workers include both those who sell retail merchandise, such as clothing, furniture, and automobiles, (called retail salespersons) and those who sell spare and replacement parts and equipment, especially car parts (called parts salespersons). Both types of workers help customers find the products they want and process customers’ payments.	$10-22

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Sales Floor
   • Cash Handling
   • Retail Sales
   • Loss Prevention
   • Basic Math
   • Cleanliness
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Math
   • POS
   • Ladders
   • Stock Shelves
   • Retail Store
   • Retail Environment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Supervise women's department, manage jewelry department, assist customers on finalizing purchases
   • Gain experience with credit cards, mathematics, as well as customer service.
   • Utilize forklift, order picker reach truck, electric ladder, or roll ladders to transfer merchandise to the sales floor.
   • Create Facebook page for Ohco Import/Export division.
   • Increase sales by upselling products and follow up sales calls.
   • Assist customers with the purchase of the perfect piece of jewelry

   More sales associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the sales associate job description is a good way to get more applicants. A sales associate salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a sales associate in Arkansas may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level sales associate. Additionally, a sales associate with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average sales associate salary

   $15.46hourly

   $32,167 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level sales associate salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average sales associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$40,393	$19
   2	California	$35,883	$17
   3	Washington	$35,618	$17
   4	Massachusetts	$35,077	$17
   5	Oregon	$33,337	$16
   6	New Jersey	$33,067	$16
   7	Maine	$32,787	$16
   8	Nebraska	$32,652	$16
   9	Minnesota	$32,401	$16
   10	Illinois	$32,208	$15
   11	Maryland	$32,110	$15
   12	Pennsylvania	$31,732	$15
   13	Wisconsin	$31,558	$15
   14	Virginia	$31,406	$15
   15	Arizona	$31,047	$15
   16	Colorado	$31,022	$15
   17	Indiana	$30,733	$15
   18	Kansas	$30,501	$15
   19	Tennessee	$30,414	$15
   20	Ohio	$30,294	$15

   Average sales associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Barclays	$88,251	$42.43	1
   2	Meta	$87,479	$42.06	1
   3	Google	$75,198	$36.15	16
   4	Goldman Sachs	$73,353	$35.27	2
   5	Pandora	$70,828	$34.05	2
   6	Bloomberg	$68,195	$32.79	1
   7	Northern Trust	$64,881	$31.19	7
   8	MicroStrategy	$64,743	$31.13	1
   9	BlackRock	$63,787	$30.67	6
   10	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	$62,045	$29.83
   11	Atos	$61,387	$29.51
   12	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$60,747	$29.21
   13	Persistent Systems	$60,344	$29.01
   14	Milliman	$60,199	$28.94	4
   15	Merrill Lynch	$59,853	$28.78
   16	Morgan Stanley	$59,730	$28.72	11
   17	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$58,260	$28.01	120
   18	Prudential Financial	$57,693	$27.74	7
   19	Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama	$57,356	$27.57	6
   20	Apple	$57,151	$27.48	15

4. Writing a sales associate job description

   A good sales associate job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a sales associate job description:

   Sales associate job description example

   You are in for some awesome perks (Part-time and Full-time benefits based on your role and tenure)
   Backup childcare Tuition assistance for yourself and dependents Generous employee discount Medical, dental, paid time off Rewards/discounts for learning about new products Self-paced learning in sales, leaderships, time management, inclusion & diversity and so much more. Seasonal employees also receive our generous employee discount.
   
   Customer Experience Specialists are the face of Best Buy for everyone who visits our stores. They are obsessed with finding the right solutions to fit each person's immediate and future needs. Specialists build long lasting relationships with our customers as they provide unique and personalized service over time.
   
   Customer Experience Specialists are given the full training necessary to recommend the right products and services to each customer. This includes fundamentals of delivering world-class product knowledge and customer service in a customer obsessed environment. You will be trained in the department that most interest you and be exposed to learning about new and exciting product categories as they are developed.
   
   At Best Buy, we create work environments where every employee feels like they truly belong and contribute to our shared purpose. We're committed to being one of the best companies for our customers and employees by fully embracing people from all backgrounds and identities. Our customer base is diverse, and we are committed to ensuring our workforce is reflective of the communities we serve.
   
   We are obsessed with building long-term relationships with our applicants, employees, and customers. If you like working in an environment that inspires individual and team success, you'd be a great addition here.
   
   Key Responsibilities Greets, welcomes, and engages with customers in a warm and friendly manner. Uses acquired skills and knowledge to recommend products and services to meet customers' current and future needs. Serves as a brand ambassador by bringing your love and passion for the Best Buy brand, customer service, and technology together in service of our customers. Assists customers with their sales orders, returns, and exchanges. Applies the appropriate knowledge and expertise through ongoing learning and self-development. Utilizes available tools to stay current on skills and promotional initiatives. Helps execute profitable growth through critical business drive times while supporting our customer obsession. Maintains merchandising and ensures their department is clean and well stocked. Works in cooperation with their supervisor and associates in other departments. Basic Qualifications Working and thriving in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment Working a flexible schedule that matches your availability (weekends, nights, holidays, etc.)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right sales associate for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your sales associate job on Zippia to find and recruit sales associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit sales associates, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new sales associate

   Once you've decided on a perfect sales associate candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new sales associate. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a sales associate?