Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between sales associate/managers and assistant store managers 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 store manager. Additionally, a sales associate/manager has an average salary of $41,412, which is higher than the $40,759 average annual salary of an assistant store manager.
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 store manager are store management, payroll, and loss prevention.
| Sales Associate/Manager | Assistant Store Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $41,412 | $40,759 |
| Hourly rate | $19.91 | $19.60 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 318,977 | 428,619 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| 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.
Assistant store managers are considered second-in-command to store managers. They help oversee operations and take over when the manager is unavailable. Assistant store managers may be assigned to focus on certain aspects of store operations such as marketing, finance, human resources, or quality control. They should be familiar with running the store and with all the other tasks needed to be done. Assistant store managers should have decision-making skills, interpersonal skills, and business acumen. They should also be able to do the work usually done on the operations floor in case of a lack of manpower.
Sales associate/managers and assistant store managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sales Associate/Manager | Assistant Store Manager | |
| Average salary | $41,412 | $40,759 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $55,000 | Between $32,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Salem, VA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | US Foods | |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a sales associate/manager and an assistant store manager in terms of educational background:
| Sales Associate/Manager | Assistant Store Manager | |
| 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 | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between sales associate/managers' and assistant store managers' demographics:
| Sales Associate/Manager | Assistant Store Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8% | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 10% |