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Sales associate/manager vs sales associate

The differences between sales associate/managers and sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a sales associate/manager has an average salary of $41,412, which is higher than the $32,167 average annual salary of a sales associate.

The top three skills for a sales associate/manager include customer service, sales floor and strong customer service. The most important skills for a sales associate are customer service, sales floor, and cash handling.

Sales associate/manager vs sales associate overview

Sales Associate/ManagerSales Associate
Yearly salary$41,412$32,167
Hourly rate$19.91$15.46
Growth rate5%-
Number of jobs318,977579,849
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age4341
Years of experience6-

What does a sales associate/manager do?

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.

What does a sales associate do?

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.

Sales associate/manager vs sales associate salary

Sales associate/managers and sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

Sales Associate/ManagerSales Associate
Average salary$41,412$32,167
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $55,000Between $21,000 And $47,000
Highest paying CitySalem, VANew York, NY
Highest paying stateMassachusettsNew York
Best paying companyGoogleBarclays
Best paying industryManufacturingManufacturing

Differences between sales associate/manager and sales associate education

There are a few differences between a sales associate/manager and a sales associate in terms of educational background:

Sales Associate/ManagerSales Associate
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeSUNY College of Technology at Delhi-

Sales associate/manager vs sales associate demographics

Here are the differences between sales associate/managers' and sales associates' demographics:

Sales Associate/ManagerSales Associate
Average age4341
Gender ratioMale, 44.2% Female, 55.8%Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6%
Race ratioBlack 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, 10.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 6.9% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage9%7%

Differences between sales associate/manager and sales associate duties and responsibilities

Sales associate/manager example 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.

Sales associate example responsibilities.

  • Supervise women's department, manage jewelry department, assist customers on finalizing purchases
  • Gain experience with credit cards, mathematics, as well as customer service.
  • Utilize forklift, order picker reach truck, electric ladder, or roll ladders to transfer merchandise to the sales floor.
  • Create Facebook page for Ohco Import/Export division.
  • Increase sales by upselling products and follow up sales calls.
  • Assist customers with the purchase of the perfect piece of jewelry
  • Show more

Sales associate/manager vs sales associate skills

Common sales associate/manager skills
  • Customer Service, 34%
  • Sales Floor, 13%
  • Strong Customer Service, 9%
  • Retail Sales, 4%
  • Payroll, 4%
  • Product Knowledge, 4%
Common sales associate skills
  • Customer Service, 15%
  • Sales Floor, 13%
  • Cash Handling, 9%
  • Retail Sales, 9%
  • Loss Prevention, 7%
  • Basic Math, 5%