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The differences between sales associate/managers and department sales managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a sales associate/manager, becoming a department sales manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a department sales manager has an average salary of $57,136, which is higher than the $41,412 average annual salary of a sales associate/manager.
The top three skills for a sales associate/manager include customer service, sales floor and strong customer service. The most important skills for a department sales manager are sales floor, strong customer service, and store operations.
| Sales Associate/Manager | Department Sales Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $41,412 | $57,136 |
| Hourly rate | $19.91 | $27.47 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 318,977 | 297,625 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 43 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 8 |
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.
The department sales manager is a person in charge of working with a company's marketing, advertising, and sales department. The service's sales manager ensures that the company receives better marketing. This person works alongside the sales team to determine the right strategy to sustain a profit in the company's products or services. The service sales manager also monitors and evaluates product performance and provides suggestions on how the product or service can be improved and improved.
Sales associate/managers and department sales managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sales Associate/Manager | Department Sales Manager | |
| Average salary | $41,412 | $57,136 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $55,000 | Between $41,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Salem, VA | - |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | - |
| Best paying company | - | |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between a sales associate/manager and a department sales manager in terms of educational background:
| Sales Associate/Manager | Department Sales Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between sales associate/managers' and department sales managers' demographics:
| Sales Associate/Manager | Department Sales Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8% | Male, 59.3% Female, 40.7% |
| 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, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 7% |