Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between sales associate/managers and assistant managers retail can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a sales associate/manager and an assistant manager retail. Additionally, a sales associate/manager has an average salary of $41,412, which is higher than the $32,861 average annual salary of an assistant manager retail.
The top three skills for a sales associate/manager include customer service, sales floor and strong customer service. The most important skills for an assistant manager retail are customer service, retail management, and retail store.
| Sales Associate/Manager | Assistant Manager Retail | |
| Yearly salary | $41,412 | $32,861 |
| Hourly rate | $19.91 | $15.80 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 318,977 | 356,646 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
As the name entails, sales associates or associate managers are responsible for helping the store manager organize and run the retail stores. Their roles and responsibilities include ensuring that the store's goals are met by the sales team, hiring and training sales staff, and monitoring inventory. They are also expected to analyze consumer behavior, look for competitive products in the market, and communicate and evaluate clients' needs. To be qualified for this position, you should have experience as an assistant manager, organizational and leadership skills, and proficiency in MS Office.
An assistant retail manager is responsible for monitoring daily store operations, managing and delegating staff's tasks, and ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of the store's facilities. Assistant retail managers supervise the adequacy of the store's inventory, create purchase requests, and inspect store displays. They also assist customers with their inquiries and concerns, resolve complaints, and process item replacements and refunds as needed. An assistant retail manager must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in maintaining the overall store performance to reach sales goals and objectives.
Sales associate/managers and assistant managers retail have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sales Associate/Manager | Assistant Manager Retail | |
| Average salary | $41,412 | $32,861 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $55,000 | Between $26,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Salem, VA | Knoxville, TN |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Whitney Museum of American Art | |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a sales associate/manager and an assistant manager retail in terms of educational background:
| Sales Associate/Manager | Assistant Manager Retail | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi |
Here are the differences between sales associate/managers' and assistant managers retail' demographics:
| Sales Associate/Manager | Assistant Manager Retail | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8% | Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |