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The differences between sales associates and general sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a sales associate has an average salary of $32,167, which is higher than the $29,328 average annual salary of a general sales associate.
The top three skills for a sales associate include customer service, sales floor and cash handling. The most important skills for a general sales associate are POS, work ethic, and food preparation.
| Sales Associate | General Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $32,167 | $29,328 |
| Hourly rate | $15.46 | $14.10 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 579,849 | 383,009 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
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 associates and general sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sales Associate | General Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $32,167 | $29,328 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $47,000 | Between $21,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Barclays | Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a sales associate and a general sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Sales Associate | General Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between sales associates' and general sales associates' demographics:
| Sales Associate | General Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% | Male, 60.2% Female, 39.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |