How To Become A Sales Associate/Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a sales associate/manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Bill Thorne

Sales associate managers work in retail settings assisting customers in their purchases. They provide information on products, help to select the right item, resolve complaints, arrange returns and refunds, and generally make sure that clients have an excellent shopping experience.

Sales associates have a thorough knowledge about the merchandise offered by the business, and they know where items are placed so they can confidently direct the customer to find what they are looking for. Sales associates manage payments, make sure shelves are always stocked, see to it that sales goals are achieved, and keep the space clean and in order.

Apart from sales tasks, sales associate managers assist the sales manager in his/her or her duties in running the store. They help out with hiring and training staff, overseeing inventory, and staying on top of the sales game by researching competitors and customers' desires.

What general advice would you give to a sales associate/manager?

Bill Thorne

Executive Director of the NRF Foundation and Senior Vice President of Communication and Public Affairs of NRF, National Retail Federation

Retail is the largest private-sector employer in the country, directly employing 32 million people and supporting 52 million jobs overall - roughly one-quarter of the U.S. workforce. While COVID-19 has presented new and unexpected challenges, retailers have continued to showcase the industry's resilience and adaptability time and again. The safety and security of customers and employees remains our greatest priority. It is no doubt that the professional environment has changed this year, but retail continues to offer a plethora of career opportunities for graduates and seasoned veterans alike.

ScoreSales Associate/ManagerUS Average

Salary

3.2

Avg. Salary $41,412

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.4

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.65%

Asian 6.98%

Black or African American 8.52%

Hispanic or Latino 18.04%

Unknown 4.65%

White 61.16%

Gender

female 55.78%

male 44.22%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress level

9.4

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.2

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.6

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a sales associate/manager

Explore sales associate/manager education requirements

Most common sales associate/manager degrees

Bachelor's

43.8 %

High School Diploma

26.0 %

Associate

20.4 %

Start to develop specific sales associate/manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	34.43%
Sales Floor	12.64%
Strong Customer Service	9.27%
Retail Sales	4.36%
Payroll	3.82%

Complete relevant sales associate/manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New sales associate/managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a sales associate/manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real sales associate/manager resumes.

Gain additional sales associate/manager certifications

Sales associate/manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific sales associate/manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for sales associate/managers include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Automotive Sales Professional.

More About Certifications

Research sales associate/manager duties and responsibilities

Partner in managing operations of multiple retail outlets, including hiring, performance management, scheduling, and merchandising management.
Execute marketing and visual merchandising initiatives and organize POS merchandise display.
Partner in managing operations of multiple retail outlets, including hiring, performance management, scheduling, and merchandising management.
Start as a part time associate and are promoted to full time Keyholder within 90 days.

Prepare your sales associate/manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your sales associate/manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a sales associate/manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable sales associate/manager resume templates

Build a professional sales associate/manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your sales associate/manager resume.